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Barely a week after sweeping to a stunning midterm victory, Democrats have found themselves facing an altogether different battle, one within their own ranks.
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen has launched a challenge to Chuck Schumer, of New York, for the Senate’s top Democratic leadership post. Announcing his decision during an interview with MS Now last night, Van Hollen argued that last week’s midterm election results showed Americans wanted a fundamental change in Washington, and that Democrats needed new leadership in order to deliver that.
View image in fullscreenChris Van Hollen said he is challenging Chuck Schumer to be Senate majority leader in the next Congress. Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty ImagesHe said:
double quotation markWe saw a huge outburst of democracy on election day – red states, blue states, purple states – and it wasn’t only a rejection of Donald Trump and his corruption, his wars and his cruelty, it was also about a call for a larger change, to take on a broken economic system that’s rigged in favour of the very wealthy against working people, and it’s fuelled by a corrupt political system.
The call was to reject the status quo and to reject business as usual, and to do that, I think we need new leadership.”
His challenge came just days after Democrats secured control of the Senate, winning at least 55 seats in what has been a remarkable election cycle for the party. Winning the leadership contest requires a majority of the caucus, about 28 or 29 senators, with an election scheduled for next month.
The caucus votes behind closed doors by secret ballot, but Van Hollen told MS Now that he had the support of “more than 10” Democratic senators.
Progressive heavyweight Bernie Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont who caucuses with the Democrats, has already publicly declared he will not support Schumer, saying “the time is now for change”. Endorsing Van Hollen, Sanders said: “The American people voted for change. They want a Democratic Party that will stand up to powerful special interests, take on the billionaire class and fight for working families.”
Incoming Democratic senator Abdul El-Sayed, of Michigan, has also openly backed Van Hollen, saying he was “proud to stand with him in his bid to lead our Senate majority”.
double quotation markThe American public spoke clearly last week. They rejected Trumpism. But we have yet to earn our mandate. That will require bold leadership. I called [Van Hollen] to lead our caucus as a candidate back in April because he leads with courage and experience. We need both right now.”
Responding to Van Hollen’s leadership bid, Schumer, who has led Senate Democrats since January 2017, said he welcomed “a discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead”, but that he had the votes to be re-elected as leader.
