Bernie Sanders Won’t Back Schumer, Says Senate Democrats Need Change

Sen. Bernie Sanders said Tuesday that he would not back Sen. Chuck Schumer for another term as Democratic majority leader, setting the stage for a major leadership battle after Democrats captured the Senate in the midterm elections.

At a Capitol news conference, Sanders was joined by Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan. The two lawmakers argued that Democrats need a new generation of leaders and a more substantive debate over the party’s priorities and long-term direction.

Several incoming Democratic senators have also expressed support for finding an alternative to Schumer, suggesting that opposition to his continued leadership could grow.

“The time is now for change,” Sanders said. The Vermont independent, widely regarded as the leading figure of the modern progressive movement, added, “I will not be supporting Chuck to be reelected as the Democratic leader.”

Slotkin said she was not pursuing the leadership post herself but wants every potential candidate to outline a clear agenda for the Senate’s new Democratic majority.

“I’m a no until and unless I see that from anyone,” Slotkin said.

The challenge to Schumer has taken shape after Democrats expanded their Senate gains well beyond the races once considered competitive, flipping Republican-held seats in states including Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.

Schumer played a central role in recruiting prominent candidates who helped deliver the majority, among them Sen.-elect Sherrod Brown in Ohio and Sen.-elect Roy Cooper in North Carolina.

At the same time, candidates backed by Schumer lost Democratic primaries in Michigan and Maine. Progressive contenders won those contests and later prevailed in the general election.

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Progressives rally behind Maryland’s Chris Van Hollen

Progressive Democrats have intensified pressure on congressional offices, urging lawmakers to pursue a change in Senate leadership. Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed and other members of the party’s left flank have promoted Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen as a possible challenger.

Van Hollen, who has previously said he is weighing a 2028 presidential campaign, is now considering a bid for Senate leader as well. The level of support he could attract remains uncertain.

“I am in the process right now of calling my colleagues,” Van Hollen said Tuesday at an event in Washington.

At 75, Schumer has given little indication that he intends to step down, particularly after leading Democrats to control of the chamber.

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, offered a strong defense of Schumer on Tuesday, saying, “This caucus is grateful for the work of Senator Schumer.”

“I’m confident I will be elected,” Schumer told reporters at the Capitol.

In an interview with The Associated Press shortly after Democrats’ election victories, Schumer was asked about his future and said his attention remained fixed on the next year.

“The focus has got to be on getting things done,” he told the AP.

Republican senators were meeting privately Tuesday to select their leaders for the next Congress, while Senate Democrats were only beginning internal discussions ahead of leadership elections expected later this month.