Key facts
- Van Hollen said on Fox News Sunday that he had 15 senator supporters as of Sunday, "and growing".
- Schumer wrote on social media on Thursday that he had the votes to continue as Democratic leader.
- Van Hollen accused Schumer's team of leaking a list of committed votes that he said was inaccurate.
- The closed-door, secret-ballot leadership election is set for early December, and Van Hollen opposed moving it earlier than December 1.
Democratic US senator Chris Van Hollen on Sunday pressed his campaign to lead the party's incoming Senate majority instead of Chuck Schumer, saying in television interviews that he has a path to victory. Van Hollen, a Maryland progressive, appeared on CNN, ABC and Fox News on Sunday, November 15, 2026, to argue that his peers should reject Schumer, who has led the Democratic caucus for nearly a decade.
On CNN's State of the Union, Van Hollen said he believed he had a path to victory, citing support and what he described as widespread openness to change within the Senate Democratic caucus. "This really is a response to the call of the voters, who clearly rejected Donald Trump and his awful policies, but they haven't fully hired the Democrats," he said, referring to the November 3 midterm elections in which Trump's Republican party lost control of Congress. "They've given us a chance, and I think we need to earn their trust. And I think that begins by not going back to business as usual."
Van Hollen criticized reports that Schumer's team may move the leadership election date earlier than December 1, arguing the caucus should debate its direction before Democrats take control of Congress in January. He also responded to a list reportedly leaked by Schumer's team to the political news outlet the Hill showing committed votes Schumer claims to have, saying some senators on the list had already pledged to vote for him.
On ABC News's This Week, Van Hollen accused Schumer's team of putting out misinformation through the leaked list of supporters, calling it an intimidation tactic. "They're essentially trying to instill fear in people who may say that they're going to support me as a new leader," he said. "We just had a great day for our democracy around the country. How about a little democracy in the Senate Democratic caucus?"
On Fox News Sunday, Van Hollen called the Hill's report "a bunch of nonsense." The outlet reported being told by a Schumer confidant that Van Hollen has "no chance of winning" and that progressives are using his candidacy to gain leverage over Schumer on a "liberal wishlist of priorities." Van Hollen said the race was wide open, that the other side had put out numbers that were "flatly wrong," and that he had 15 senator supporters as of Sunday, "and growing."
Schumer, leader of the Democratic minority in the current Senate, responded to Van Hollen's initial challenge in a social media post on Thursday, writing that he welcomed "any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead" but that he had "the votes to continue serving as Democratic leader."
The race would be the first contested election for Democratic leader in decades. The closed-door, secret-ballot vote is set for early December. Several incoming Democratic senators have voiced a desire for new leadership, including Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, Troy Jackson of Maine, Adam Hamilton of Kansas, Annie Andrews of South Carolina, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire and Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota. Bernie Sanders, the progressive senator from Vermont, recently said he would not support Schumer. Scott Colom, the Democratic senator-elect from Mississippi, said on NBC News's Meet the Press on Sunday that he was in "listening mode" on whom to support.