After Democrats beat Republicans in the once-in-a-generation US midterms, their current leader, Chuck Schumer, expressed confidence that he would lead his party’s larger-than-expected majority in the US Senate.
“I will be re-elected majority leader,” the New York Democrat told reporters in Washington on Wednesday.
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But while calls for change have reached a fever pitch among voters in this week’s crucial elections, not all newly elected Democrats in the Senate are open to the idea of Schumer, a 75-year-old House stalwart, returning to his role as leader of their agenda.
At least seven incoming Democratic freshmen have publicly suggested – or stated outright – that they will not commit to supporting Schumer in next month’s leadership vote:
- Illinois Sen.-elect Juliana Stratton, through a spokesperson, said she would not support Schumer.
- Kansas Sen.-elect Adam Hamilton told CNN in September, “I don’t support Schumer.”
- Maine Sen.-elect Troy Jackson said Monday that he told Schumer he would “support someone else.”
- Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed reiterated in a CNN interview Thursday that he would support his soon-to-be Democratic colleague, Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, as leader.
- Minnesota Sen.-elect Peggy Flanagan told reporters Wednesday, “It’s time for new leadership.”
- New Hampshire Sen.-elect Chris Pappas said in an interview last week that “voters are hungry for…a new generation of leadership in the Senate.”
- Texas Sen.-elect James Talarico has called for “new blood” in Washington and, since his election, has indicated he wants to “hear about (Schumer’s) vision” for the Senate before pledging to support him.
Jackson openly questioned Schumer’s ability to connect with working-class voters, while Flanagan’s team said the senator-elect wanted “a progressive champion” who would guide Democrats through the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency and into 2028.
New members, like El-Sayed, may not be won over after Schumer supported the former state health official’s opponent, Haley Stevens, in Michigan’s Democratic primary.
Schumer, the Senate’s first Jewish leader, has often found himself at the center of cultural and foreign policy debates within his party.
In remarks posted online in February, Schumer told Jewish leaders in New York that one of his main tasks was to “fight for aid to Israel.”
“Under my leadership, we have provided more security assistance to Israel, our ally, than ever before,” he said. “We will continue to do this.”
Schumer also faced heavy criticism for not doing enough to prevent the confirmation of Trump’s Cabinet members. Some even criticized the leader for stepping down during last year’s government shutdown, after supporting a Republican bill to reopen federal agencies without getting anything in return.
Critics in his party, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, called it a “capitulation” that abandoned top Democratic priorities, like health care subsidies. Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib said Schumer should have resigned as leader on the issue.
The Democratic leader said Wednesday that the party’s new plan in the Senate would include launching investigations into the Trump administration, challenging the president’s agenda and ending his war in Iran.
However, that’s not enough for some current members, like Van Hollen, who recently told Bloomberg that Democrats shouldn’t commit to Schumer without the promise of a “bold agenda.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s election, a senior campaign official for Sen. Jon Ossoff, who was easily re-elected to his seat, would not say whether the Georgia Democrat would support Schumer.
“I don’t have an answer,” Ossoff’s source told Al Jazeera. “We can do all the fantasy football stuff later.”
When Democratic lawmakers return to Washington next week, voters and Democratic-aligned groups will likely pressure them to support an alternative candidate.
After calling for new leadership after the election, Indivisible, a U.S.-based progressive organization that bills itself as a movement “aimed at stopping the rise of authoritarianism,” released a memo on Thursday detailing its opposition to Schumer.
“Everyone with a Democratic senator — including those whose newly elected senators are on their way to Washington — should demand a contested leadership election, not a clear field for Schumer,” the memo read.
“Any Democrat who views business as usual, or who is unwilling to fight at a level that matches the public’s demand for action, is not qualified to lead the party at this time. The question of who will lead the party in this era must be an open question, not a crowning achievement. It is time to define what the next era of the Democratic Party will be.”
Al Jazeera asked Schumer’s office how he plans to address these concerns and whether he is speaking to frustrated Democrats, but he has yet to respond.
To win re-election, Schumer needs a simple majority in the Senate Democratic caucus, which is expected to consist of 54 to 56 members, and Schumer, who previously served as majority leader during former President Biden’s term, still has allies he can count on.
One of them is Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who told ABC on Wednesday that he praised Schumer for his handling of the midterm elections, saying he delivered “one of the most historic sweeps” for the party.
“We’re going to have a family discussion,” Booker said. “But I think America should give Chuck Schumer his due for what we were able to accomplish.”
Asked Wednesday about growing criticism of his leadership, Schumer demurred, saying Tuesday’s election was “not about” him.
“It’s about the American people, what they want and what they need and what we can do to help them. Plain and simple.”
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