Sen. Bernie Sanders said Tuesday he will not support Sen. Chuck Schumer's bid to remain the Democratic leader in the Senate, delivering the most prominent break yet in the leadership fight now playing out in public after the party's midterm election sweep.
"I personally have known Chuck Schumer for over 30 years, and I like Chuck. Nobody who works harder than Chuck Schumer. But in my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be reelected as the Democratic leader," Sanders said at a news conference at the Capitol, standing alongside Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan.
Sanders, the independent from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats, said the midterm results were a call for change and for the party to move in a bold new direction, arguing that voters were focused on the cost of food, health care and housing while the billionaire class had done well. He called for a vigorous debate about the direction of the party.
Slotkin, who said she is not actively seeking the leadership job herself, said she wants potential Senate leaders to present a full plan for governing the new majority. "I'm a no until and unless I see that from anyone," she said. Slotkin had previously declined to rule out challenging Schumer herself.
The two senators mentioned Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland as a potential contender, but neither pledged him their support. Van Hollen is considering a run and said Tuesday he was in the process of calling his colleagues.
Schumer, 75, has led Senate Democrats since 2017 and insisted he remains confident he will be elected majority leader. "I'm confident I will be elected," he said at the Capitol. Democrats are expected to choose their leaders in the coming weeks, ahead of the new Congress convening in January with the party holding at least 54 Senate seats after flipping seats in Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.
