Lawmakers and political pundits quickly responded Thursday night to a major challenge to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for the Senate majority leader position.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announced he would throw his hat in the ring when Democrats hold an internal vote next month.
“I am planning to run for the Senate majority leader,” Van Hollen said on MS NOW. “Because this is not about any one individual, but it is about answering the call of the American people.”
Van Hollen also issued a statement on social media:
Schumer then posted his own statement, claiming that he still had the votes necessary to retain his leadership position:
Van Hollen’s announcement comes on the heels of numerous current and incoming Democratic senators signaling that they would not support Schumer. Sen.-elect. Abdul El-Sayed (D-Mich.) reiterated his support for Van Hollen.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also said he would support Van Hollen over Schumer.
Progressive pundits and social media users shared their excitement over the prospect of someone other than Schumer being elected majority leader. Many of Schumer’s critics claimed that the huge Democratic wins in last week’s midterms signaled that voters were desperate for a departure from status quo politics. Others said that Schumer’s stances on many issues, such as immigration and military aid to Israel, were out of touch with the base of the Democratic Party.
Read more reactions to Van Hollen’s announcement here: