Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) have announced they will not support Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as leader of the incoming Senate Democratic majority, exposing fresh fractures within the party as it prepares to take control.
Sanders, a two-time presidential contender and the chamber's most prominent progressive, said Schumer has failed to adequately confront the nation's deepening income and wealth inequality. "I don't want to get into specific proposals, but I think the time and the moment when you have more income and wealth inequality than we've ever had in the history of this country, when our younger generation were on the lowest standard of living than their parents, the time is now to deal with the need to create an economy that works for all, not just the people on top," Sanders told reporters. "Do I think Chuck has been leading in that direction? No."
Slotkin, speaking at the same press conference, said she is "seeking change" and called on any leadership candidate to publish a detailed plan for the first 100 days and beyond, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence. She urged colleagues to withhold quorum on a leader vote if only one candidate emerges, until such a plan is presented. "We need leadership that's going to govern for the entirety of the caucus, for folks from blue states, purple states and red states," said Slotkin, who is viewed by some as a potential 2028 presidential candidate. Her demand for a concrete governing agenda echoes similar calls from other corners of the party, including those who have declined to endorse Schumer.
Both senators said they had just left a meeting with Schumer where he outlined some ideas for such plans, but Sanders said they did not go far enough. They both expressed hope for a competitive leadership election. The pushback comes as Senate Democrats weigh whether to retain Schumer, who has led the caucus for nearly a decade, or elevate a challenger. Schumer has publicly maintained confidence in his victory, and several colleagues have echoed that optimism, but progressive groups and a crop of incoming freshmen are demanding new leadership.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is seen as a possible contender, though he has wavered in recent days. On Monday night, he said he is "in listening mode" after hearing from many who want him to run. Slotkin confirmed she and Van Hollen had "a really productive conversation" on Monday but declined to endorse him directly, repeating that she wants a concrete and different governing plan from any candidate.
Slotkin criticized the caucus for not having articulated a clear governing strategy in the two years since she joined the Senate. "I acknowledge that I had conversations with Senator Van Hollen yesterday because I have a point of view," she said. "I've sat in that room and tried to figure out what our plan was for two years, and I think maybe it's because I come from a national security background, you can't lead people if you can't lay out where you're going, and it may be one thing when you're in the minority, but it's very different when it's now your responsibility to deliver."
The discontent extends to newly elected Democrats. Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-Mich.) has said he would back Van Hollen over Schumer. Sen.-elect Annie Andrews (D-S.C.) reiterated her call for "generational change" in leadership, after pledging during the campaign not to support Schumer. Sens.-elect Adam Hamilton (D-Kansas) and Troy Jackson (D-Maine) have made similar commitments. Outside the Senate, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) declined to endorse Schumer on Tuesday, saying his future is up to the Senate but noting that calls for new leadership "are a sentiment that is seen in a lot of places." Ocasio-Cortez has no vote in the leadership election but represents a younger, more progressive wing of the party, many of whom want her to challenge Schumer for his Senate seat in 2028. Her stance mirrors a broader trend of withholding endorsement from key party voices.
Despite the mounting calls for an alternative, no candidate has formally stepped forward to challenge Schumer, who is credited with helping Democrats secure their sweeping victory through aggressive recruitment and fundraising. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who chaired the party's campaign arm and is seeking another term in that role, defended Schumer at a separate press conference Tuesday. "We spent a year and a half talking about costs, corruption and chaos. That was all Leader Schumer's decision-making and effort to keep our caucus united," Gillibrand said, also highlighting his fundraising and recruiting work. "No one has put into the time and effort that anyone has put in the cycle that he did," she added, pounding the podium. "That is why, you will see, despite all the grumbling, enormous gratitude for the hard work he has done to get us to this position."
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) also expressed support for Schumer at the same event, acknowledging past differences but stressing unity. "It's time for us to unify, we are going to work together as a caucus and put a plan together about how to move forward for what the country wants us to do and I think, you know, we have the person who's gonna lead us there," Gallego said. The leadership vote is expected to test Schumer's ability to hold together a caucus that is increasingly vocal about its ideological and generational divides, as seen in other recent leadership battles.
