Bernie Sanders backs Van Hollen in challenge to Schumer

Sen. Bernie Sanders is supporting Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s bid to replace Chuck Schumer as Senate Democratic leader, he wrote on X after Van Hollen announced his challenge Thursday.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

"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," wrote Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats.

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.

That is why I am supporting Senator Chris Van Hollen to lead Senate Democrats.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) November 13, 2026

Maryland’s Van Hollen is seeking the majority leader’s post in the next Congress, when Democrats will control both chambers after winning their largest majorities in years in the midterms. His statement said, "It's now on us to meet this moment, and to do that we need new leadership."

Schumer said on X that he welcomed a discussion of the caucus’s future, describing Democrats’ "55 seats and counting" as an "amazing result." "I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader," he wrote.

I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together—55 seats and counting is an amazing result—and I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader.

I look forward to leading our new

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) November 13, 2026

Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, endorsed Schumer and asked, "Why would you fire the manager when you just won the World Series?"

Van Hollen has said more than 10 senators support him, Newsweek reported, while The Guardian described the number who have publicly backed him as small.

The number of caucus members supporting Schumer was unclear, as was whether anyone else would enter the race.

Sanders said at a Capitol news conference Tuesday that he liked Schumer and had known him for more than 30 years. "But in my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be reelected as the Democratic leader," he said.

Speaking this month on "The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart," Sanders said he and Schumer attended the same elementary school and grew up in the same neighborhood. "Chris Van Hollen is one guy who has indicated he might be interested in running for leader. If he chooses to do that, I will support him," he told the show.

Van Hollen had wavered over a challenge, saying Tuesday that he was "actively listening" to party members. At a Friday news conference, he called himself an "underdog" and said, "I don't think you can close the trust deficit by simply returning to the status quo."

He said Schumer could have performed better in the midterms, pointing to voters’ rejection of several candidates Schumer supported in primaries, according to The Guardian.

Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed has also endorsed Van Hollen. On X, El-Sayed wrote that he had called on Van Hollen "to lead our caucus as a candidate back in April because he leads with courage and experience."

A Newsweek count found at least six incoming Democratic senators had called for new leadership or said they would not back Schumer. They are Annie Andrews of South Carolina, El-Sayed, Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota, Adam Hamilton of Kansas, Troy Jackson of Maine and Juliana Stratton of Illinois.

Hamilton said this month that he meant "no disrespect for Chuck Schumer" but that "at least where I live in Kansas, he is kind of a polarizing figure."

In a statement, Republican National Committee national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre described the contest as a "leadership brawl" and said Van Hollen "cares more about a Salvadoran gang member than working families." Van Hollen went to El Salvador to meet Kilmar Ábrego García, who had been wrongfully deported from Maryland.

Schumer, 75, became the Senate’s top Democrat in 2017, then majority leader four years later under President Joe Biden. He advanced a GOP-backed spending measure in March 2025 to avert a shutdown, angering House Democrats and activist groups.

The caucus is scheduled to choose its leader by secret ballot behind closed doors on Dec. 1. Schumer must win support from more than half the members to retain the post.