Chris Van Hollen Says He’s the ‘Underdog’ in Senate Majority Leader Challenge – But Has 10-Plus Pledges Against Schumer

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) officially announced his campaign to challenge Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for the position of Senate majority leader. During an appearance on MSNBC's "The Briefing with Jen Psaki," Van Hollen acknowledged that he is the "underdog" in the race, stating, "Am I the underdog? Yes." Despite this, he expressed confidence in his support, saying, "We have a lot of people."

Van Hollen argued that his bid is not about a specific individual, but rather a response to the demands of the American public. He cited the recent midterms as evidence of this sentiment, noting that voters expressed a desire to reject the status quo and break from the current system. He added, "We 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 and 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 favor of the very wealthy against working people, led by a corrupt political system."

As Van Hollen prepares to face Schumer in the December election, he emphasized the need for fresh leadership. He acknowledged Schumer's long tenure as a Democratic leader but criticized the current system of deals and influence within the Senate Democratic Caucus. Van Hollen emphasized the importance of introducing new voices and ideas, stating, "We should have a little bit of democracy in the Senate Democratic Caucus."

He emphasized that his campaign is about more than just one person, but rather a movement to bring about change in the Senate Democratic leadership.