Van Hollen said in a statement that “the American people called for change” and that is why he is running.
“It’s now on us to meet this moment, and to do that we need new leadership,” Van Hollen said. “This is not about any one person — it’s about answering the call of the American people. That is why I’m running for Senate Majority Leader.”
Schumer has said he has the necessary support to win the race, which will be the first contested election for Senate Democratic leader in decades. The closed-door, secret-ballot election will be held in early December.
The question of whether to reelect Schumer has already divided the caucus and many senators have declined to say publicly how they will vote, even before Van Hollen entered the race. They have privately deliberated about what message to take from the election and many are torn — Schumer recruited many of the party’s winning candidates and raised money for them, but progressive groups are pushing for his removal.
Making the pitch for his reelection, Schumer has been working with Democratic senators one-on-one to form an agenda for 2027. In private caucus meetings this week, Schumer opened discussion on a broad plan for their first 100 days in power that included healthcare and tariff legislation and efforts to stop the Iran war.
