Senate Leadership: Sanders Withholds Support from Schumer
The Vermont senator joins a growing group of Democrats calling for a new majority leader following recent midterm victories.
By Christopher Singh ·
Bernie Sanders announced on Tuesday that he will not back Chuck Schumer for the position of Senate majority leader.
The 85 year old independent, who caucuses with Democrats, made the statement to reporters on Capitol Hill. He noted that he has known Schumer for more than 30 years and respects his work ethic. However, Sanders argued that the current political moment requires a change in direction. "In my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be re elected as the Democratic leader," he said.
Sanders cited the results of the recent midterm elections as evidence that voters desire new leadership. He described the campaign as being centered on the need for the party to move in a bold new direction. This announcement follows a series of similar comments from other members of the caucus since the 2024 election cycle, when Joe Biden withdrew from his re election bid.
Chris Van Hollen, a senator from Maryland, also spoke on Tuesday during a conference organized by Groundwork Collaborative in Washington. He stated that the call for change was evident in the voting results. "I think the question is whether those calls are being heard within the walls of the Senate Democratic caucus," Van Hollen said. He mentioned that he is contacting colleagues to assess their interest in leadership changes, though he did not formally announce a bid himself.
Elissa Slotkin, a moderate senator from Michigan, encouraged interested peers to present concrete plans for leading the caucus. She observed that the electorate voted for change, although she clarified that she is not actively seeking the majority leadership role herself. Several newly elected senators have also expressed a preference for new leadership, including Abdul El Sayed from Michigan, Adam Hamilton from Kansas, Annie Andrews from South Carolina, Chris Pappas from New Hampshire, Troy Jackson from Maine, and Peggy Flanagan from Minnesota.
Schumer, who has served as the Senate Democratic leader since 2017, maintains that he will retain the position. He told reporters last week that he expected to be re elected. On Tuesday, he reiterated that confidence, stating that the caucus is united in its goals to lower costs, end corruption, and end the current chaos. "I am confident I will be elected majority leader, and our caucus is really united," Schumer said.
The Senate has not yet scheduled a formal vote to select its next majority leader. Sanders has proposed that the selection process include vigorous debate among candidates. As of Tuesday, no Democrat had formally volunteered to challenge Schumer for the role, leaving the internal dynamics of the caucus in a state of transition.
