Sen. Bernie Sanders said Tuesday he will not support Sen. Chuck Schumer’s bid to lead Senate Democrats next year, opening a public split inside the party weeks after Democrats won back the Senate.
Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, told reporters Schumer would face a challenge. “He’s not going to run unopposed, I don’t think,” Sanders said, according to Bloomberg Government.
No senator has formally launched a challenge. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland declined to say Tuesday whether he would run, and Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan also cast doubt on her support for Schumer.
Schumer has led Senate Democrats since January 2017. Asked Tuesday whether he was confident he would be elected Senate majority leader, he said yes.
Senate Democrats hold their leadership elections in December. The new Congress begins in January 2027.
Source: Bloomberg Government
