Maryland's Van Hollen to challenge Schumer for Senate leadership post

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland announced Thursday that he will run for Senate majority leader in the next Congress. According to CBC News, this move sets up a challenge to Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer following the party's midterm election sweep. In a statement on X, Van Hollen said that the American people called for a change from the status quo and that new leadership is required to address an economy that is rigged against working people.

Axios reports that Van Hollen has served in the Senate since 2017 and in Congress since 2003, while Schumer has been the Senate Democratic leader since 2017. The announcement provides grassroots activists approximately three weeks to pressure Senate Democrats before the secret ballot leadership election takes place in December. The New York Times notes that Van Hollen has emerged as a favorite for Democrats seeking an alternative to Schumer, who maintains he has the necessary votes to win.

Brief written by urgent.news from CBC News, CBS News, Axios, The New York Times — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.