Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has announced he will challenge Senator Chuck Schumer to lead the Senate Democrats, opening a contested race for the party's top Senate job.

Van Hollen, 67, made his run official in an interview on Thursday, 12 November, with MS NOW host Jen Psaki, after the Democrats' midterm election victory. The closed-ballot leadership election is scheduled for 1 December.

"This is not about any one individual, but it is about answering the call of the American people," Van Hollen said, describing his candidacy as a response to the "huge outburst of democracy" in the midterms.

"The call was really to reject the status quo and to reject business as usual," he added. "And to do that, I think we need new leadership."

Democrats split after midterm gains

Democrats flipped eight seats in the midterms and will enter January with at least 55 senators, according to CNN. The victory has not quieted longstanding liberal frustrations with Schumer, who has led the Senate Democratic caucus since 2017.

Van Hollen said he had spoken to most Senate Democrats and believed the race "is very much in flux". Pressed on how many commitments he had secured, he said he had "more than 10" but was confident his support could grow now that colleagues know he is running. He conceded he is the "underdog".

Schumer, 75, moved quickly to defend his position. "I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead," he posted on X. "I'm proud of what we've accomplished together — 55 seats and counting is an amazing result — and I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader."

He told reporters earlier in the week: "I am confident I will be elected majority leader," adding that there was "great unity" among Senate Democrats.

Early backing on both sides

Van Hollen quickly received the support of one incoming Democratic freshman, Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, who has suggested for weeks that he could back Van Hollen if he ran. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who caucuses with the Democrats, also pledged his support.

"If this campaign was about anything, it was about change and the need for the Democratic Party, in my view, to move in a new and bold direction," Sanders said. "But in my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be reelected as the Democratic leader."

Schumer, meanwhile, won a swift endorsement from Senator Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. "Chuck has outlined an aggressive plan for our new Democratic majority which is directly responsive to the message we heard from the voters, and he has the experience and unique mastery of the Senate process to make it happen," King said in a statement.

Senators Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada were among others who backed Schumer, as did Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona. "When the manager takes you to the World Series, you give them another contract," Gallego told reporters.

What Van Hollen would do differently

Van Hollen, who has served in the Senate since 2017 after 14 years in the House, said he would use the "full power" of the Senate to respond to voters' demands to end the war with Iran and to lower the cost of living. He also promised he would not intervene in primaries for open Senate seats, as Schumer has done.

"We have two members in that room, newly elected senators, who would not be there if Schumer and the DSCC had had their way," Van Hollen said at a post-election Democratic conference in Washington, referring to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "They sided with the crypto industry and AIPAC against these candidates, and my strong view is only under very, very rare exceptions should the DSCC be weighing in."

His profile has grown over the past two years, notably when he travelled to El Salvador to meet Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident mistakenly deported there. He has also become a leading critic of the Israeli government, accusing it of "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza and calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "wanted war criminal".

Schumer has been accused by liberals of not fighting hard enough against President Donald Trump, and he also faces the prospect of a primary challenge — potentially from New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — if he runs for re-election in 2028.

Several returning Senate Democrats and most incoming freshmen have declined to publicly back Schumer for the job, though he needs only majority support from his caucus to win. The December vote will in part determine the Democratic Party's direction over the last two years of President Trump's administration.

Sources: CNN and USA Today