Key facts
- Van Hollen, who represents Maryland, said voters called for change from a status quo that is not working for working people.
- Schumer said he welcomes discussion about the future of the caucus and cited 55 seats and counting as the party's Senate result.
- The leadership election is a closed-door, secret-ballot vote scheduled for early December.
- The contest is the first contested election for Democratic leader in decades, according to the report.
- Schumer told the Associated Press in an interview the previous week that he is going to win.
Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, said on November 12, 2026, that he will run for Senate majority leader in the next Congress, setting up a challenge to Chuck Schumer after Democrats won a Senate majority in the midterm elections.
In a statement, Van Hollen said voters called for "a change from the status quo that isn't working for working people." He added: "It's now on us to meet this moment, and to do that we need new leadership."
Schumer released a statement the same day saying he had the votes to continue serving as the Democratic leader in the Senate. He said he welcomes discussion about the future of the caucus, said he is proud of what the party accomplished together, and cited "55 seats and counting" as the party's Senate result.
The leadership election will be a closed-door, secret-ballot vote held in early December. The report says it is the first contested election for Democratic leader in decades, and that many senators will not say publicly how they will vote. Schumer told the Associated Press in an interview the previous week that he is going to win.