# Sen. Chris Van Hollen D-MD will challenge Schumer for Senate Majority Leader **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 13, 2026, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939 "2026-11-13T02:50:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939/1 "2026-11-13T02:50:32Z")
Senator Van Hollen of Maryland announced tonight on MSNOW that he will be mounting a challenge to Schumer. He says he has more than 10 Senators behind him so far. [Here is a free link to the article in the NYT.](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/12/us/politics/van-hollen-schumer-democrats-majority-leader.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QFE.GUL_.4FakcDjfEEG6&smid=url-share) I emailed my Senators earlier in the week suggesting they should withhold support from Schumer and consider Van Hollen as an alternative. Schumer should step aside so this can happen in my opinion. He needs to retire already. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939/2 "2026-11-13T03:04:15Z")
Great, we can get some new young blood and… Oh, he’s 67. Well, at least he’s a _little_ bit younger than Chuck. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939/3 "2026-11-13T03:04:43Z")
Good! Hopefully he wins, and if he doesn’t, hopefully his challenge pushes Schumer to fight harder against Trump’s criminal behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939/4 "2026-11-13T03:06:35Z")
Well, if you come for the king, you’d best not miss. We will see how this works out for Chris Van Hollen. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939/5 "2026-11-13T03:09:39Z")
Here is what CNN said is the difference between them. > **[Chris Van Hollen launches challenge against Chuck Schumer to lead Senate...](https://www.cnn.com/2026/11/12/politics/chris-van-hollen-chuck-schumer-senate-democratic-leader)** > > Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen announced Thursday he would challenge Chuck Schumer for Senate majority leader, launching an uphill battle to lead the chamber’s Democrats after sweeping victories in the midterms. > The 67-year-old Van Hollen has served in Congress for over two decades, including in other leadership roles, making him a somewhat unlikely candidate to carry an anti-establishment banner. But he has emerged as a favorite of some progressives over the past two years due to his criticism of Israel and advocacy for a more confrontational approach to President Donald Trump. > > Van Hollen said he would be different from Schumer because he would use the “full power” of the Senate to respond to voters’ desires to end the Iran war and lower the cost of living. And he promised he would not intervene in primaries for open Senate seats as Schumer has. > > Schumer has been accused by liberals of not fighting hard enough against Trump and is also a longtime supporter of the US-Israeli relationship as many Democrats have become more skeptical of Israel amid its war with Hamas. So, this is about taking a stance against supporting Israel and also being more aggressive about going after Trump. It should also be no surprise that El-Sayed is a supporter of Van Hollen. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939/6 "2026-11-13T03:26:11Z")
If the progressives had actually flipped some Republican seats, they might have some backing for toppling Schumer. They didn’t. The eight flippers were Adam Hamilton, KS; Troy Jackson, ME; Scott Colom, MS; Sherrod Brown, OH; Annie Andrews, SC; Josh Turk, IA; Roy Cooper, NC; and James Talarico, TX. I could be wrong, but Jackson and Brown are the only progressive in the bunch. Two seats weren’t enough to retake the Senate. The others are a varied bunch, but mostly centrist or vaguely populist. They had to be to win. I truly do not get why progressives think that the centrists who made the difference - in both Houses - will just step aside. That’s not how politics works. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939/7 "2026-11-13T03:30:52Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Adam Hamilton, KS FWIW, Hamilton stated multiple times during his campaign that he would not support Schumer for Majority Leader. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939/8 "2026-11-13T04:02:39Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > If the progressives had actually flipped some Republican seats, they might have some backing for toppling Schumer. They didn’ Yeah, I see nothing wrong with Schumer. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939/9 "2026-11-13T04:08:44Z")
I did a quick check. Andrews will also not vote for Schumer, Brown will, the others have not publicly committed. I wish Schumer would step aside. He’s a year younger than I am, but I was a lot better at 67 than now. He did a good job recruiting and funding many of the people on this list, but I hated his mildness fighting Trump the past two years. None of that matters. You can’t ask the guy who just led you to an astonishing, unsuspected rout of the enemy to let some unknown lieutenant take over. Schumer is owed decades of favors. He raises zillions of dollars. He knows where all the bodies are buried. The progressives risk looking like the Freedom Caucus when they couldn’t elect a Speaker and instead voted for Mike Johnson. ---
**Author:** ![JDYanYan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jdyanyan/32/21663_2.png) [@JDYanYan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDYanYan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939/10 "2026-11-13T04:48:19Z")
I don’t think this is real. I think CVH is building his credentials as the left flank candidate for president. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939/11 "2026-11-13T05:27:26Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > You can’t ask the guy who just led you to an astonishing, unsuspected rout of the enemy to let some unknown lieutenant take over. Schumer is owed decades of favors. He raises zillions of dollars. He knows where all the bodies are buried. The progressives risk looking like the Freedom Caucus when they couldn’t elect a Speaker and instead voted for Mike Johnson. Yeah, let him have him moment in the Sun, he has deserved it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939/12 "2026-11-13T06:41:17Z")
I assume this means you don’t agree with some progressive voices that the current Democratic Congressional leadership has declared a lack of interest in going after Trump and an intent to be “bipartisan”…meaning “give in on important issues to Republicans even they know full well that the Republicans will never return the favor.” ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sen-chris-van-hollen-d-md-will-challenge-schumer-for-senate-majority-leader/1034939/13 "2026-11-13T11:42:12Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > You can’t ask the guy who just led you to an astonishing, unsuspected rout of the enemy to let some unknown lieutenant take over. Did he really “lead” Democrats to this victory? He had some good recruits, but also some massive whiffs (like Maine and Michigan). He failed to support candidates in FL and LA that maybe could have won. What did he really do to help aside from a few good recruits?