Sanders Withholds Support for Schumer as Senate Democratic Leader
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders announced at a Capitol press conference that he will not support Chuck Schumer for Senate Democratic leader in the new Congress, saying "the time is now for change." Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, appearing alongside Sanders, said she is a "no" until she sees a concrete governing plan. A Machinists union also called on Schumer to step aside, while Senator Richard Blumenthal maintained his support. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen is exploring a run, with leadership elections expected in early December.
Reference imageEditorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Reports are grouped by semantic similarity and deterministic rules. Language models may assist titles, summaries, translation and cross-source analysis; the page reads the event directly, while its address stays stable when the title changes.
- Summary covers the current reports
Cross-source coverage
Reporting timeline
Sanders Says He Won't Support Schumer as Senate Democratic Leader
Senator Bernie Sanders said he will not support Chuck Schumer as Senate Democratic leader in the new Congress, according to Politico, AP News, CBS News and The Hill. Sanders framed his position as a call for change in party leadership. The Hill also reported that Senator Elissa Slotkin will not back Schumer for the leadership post. Separately, CT Mirror reported that Senator Richard Blumenthal confirmed his support for Schumer despite calling for "new energy." The reports indicate a split among Senate Democrats over Schumer's continued leadership, with Sanders and Slotkin withholding support while at least one colleague maintains backing.
Read sourceSanders Says He Won't Back Schumer as Senate Democratic Leader
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders announced at a Capitol press conference that he will not support New York Sen. Chuck Schumer for Democratic leader when the party takes control of the Senate in the new Congress, becoming the most prominent progressive to oppose Schumer's candidacy. Sanders said last week's midterm elections were about change and called for an open debate on the party's direction, while praising Schumer's work ethic. Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, appearing alongside Sanders, said she is not actively seeking the job but wants a concrete plan for governing differently and is a 'no' until she sees one. No challenger has formally emerged, though Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen said he is calling colleagues and exploring a run. Democrats are expected to hold leadership elections in early December.
Read sourceSanders and Slotkin Decline to Back Schumer as Senate Democratic Leader
Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Elissa Slotkin have indicated they will not support Chuck Schumer as Senate Democratic leader in the new Congress, according to multiple reports. Sanders said it is time for change and that he will not back Schumer for the leadership post. The Machinists union also called on Schumer to step aside as leader. The coordinated signals of non-support from a prominent progressive senator, a swing-state Democrat, and a major labor union raise questions about Schumer's hold on the Democratic leadership position as the party prepares for the next congressional session.
Read sourceShow 2 older updatesHide older updates
Bernie Sanders Withholds Support for Schumer as Senate Democratic Leader
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders publicly announced he will not support Chuck Schumer's re-election as Democratic Senate leader, saying at a joint press conference with Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin that "the time is now for change." Sanders called for an open debate on an alternative and predicted Schumer would not run unopposed. His remarks follow Democratic midterm gains and add to a growing wave of opposition; at least 10 senators or senators-elect have either rejected Schumer outright or signaled interest in a different leader, including Chris Van Hollen, who is emerging as a potential progressive alternative. Another 14 Democrats remain uncommitted, meaning nearly half of the at least 54 Democratic seats could oppose Schumer. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has also declined to support him.
Machinists union and Sanders decline to back Schumer as Democratic leader
A Machinists union has called on Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to step aside, according to Politico. Separately, Bernie Sanders said he will not support Schumer for Senate Democratic leader in the new Congress, saying it is time for change, as reported by AP News, The Hill, and CBS News. The Hill also reported that Senator Slotkin will not back Schumer as leader. In contrast, CT Mirror reported that Senator Blumenthal confirmed his support for Schumer despite calling for 'new energy.' The items present a mix of calls for leadership change and continued backing from some senators.
Read source