Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland announced on Thursday that he will run for Senate majority leader in the next Congress. In doing so, he posed an open challenge to Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. The move comes after the party regained power in the midterm elections.
It is the first public challenge to Schumer, who has long led Senate Democrats. Van Hollen is challenging Schumer with the backing of some of the most vocal progressives within the Democratic Party. He is the first senator to openly oppose the candidacy of the long-serving leader, who is 75 years old.
Schumer has faced calls from members of his party to step aside in favor of new leadership. The announcement is causing an internal rift within the party. The elections for Democratic leader are expected to be the first contested ones in decades, a test for the Democratic Party and for the U.S. Senate.
