The left-wing pushback to the possibility of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) becoming majority leader looms over Washington, as Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) could take him on.
A Tuesday email from the left-wing group RootsAction wants people to reach out to Van Hollen’s office and ask him to run.
“As the Senate’s Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer has been a devoted servant of corporatism, Big Tech, go-slow status-quo economics, and Israel-right-or-wrong policies – and he has the receipts (in the form of campaign cash) to prove it,” the email stated.
“Even though voters across the country – not just Democrats – rejected those policies at the polls, Schumer will have even more power in January as the Senate Majority Leader . . . unless someone challenges him for that position,” the statement continued.
Democrats will now have control of both chambers of Congress after last week’s election. The party is expected to have a minimum of 54 Senate seats, but they could have 55 or 56 depending on how the results in Alaska and Mississippi shake out.
Punchbowl News reported that the Maryland Democrat has "received an outpouring of calls and is now in active listening mode,” citing an individual familiar with the situation, adding that “the door is not shut.”
NEW: Sen. Chris Van Hollen is now open to a run against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Van Hollen has "received an outpouring of calls and is now in active listening mode," according to a person familiar w/ his thinking around leadership "The door is not shut," the person added Van Hollen is a leading progressive & has said he needs commitments from Schumer before agreeing to support him for another term as leader. The Maryland Democrat has also been eyeing a presidential run
— Laura Weiss (@LauraEWeiss16) November 9, 2026
Schumer was previously majority leader from 2021 until 2025, and he’s been minority leader ever since then. Meanwhile, Van Hollen gained national attention for meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador. The Maryland lawmaker has been in the upper chamber since 2017, and he first came to Congress in 2003 as a House member.
Whoever wins will be presumably be a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump in the latter half of his term, yet they may also have to meet with him to discuss potential legislative compromises.
Townhall reached out to Schumer and Van Hollen's office for comment.