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By Oliver Trapnell
Associate News Editor
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Chuck Schumer is facing mounting pressure from both progressive and centrist figures within the Democratic Party over his leadership amid debate over who should lead the caucus into the next election cycle.
Former presidential candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders, is among the highest profile voices criticizing the New York lawmaker's direction but several Democratic centrists have declined to back Schumer for the role he has held since 2017.
Senators Mark Warner and Raphael Warnock have both withheld support for Schumer, reflecting broader unease within parts of the caucus, while Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin suggested Democrats should consider withholding quorum if Schumer seeks another term as caucus leader without opposition.
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Why It Matters
As Senate Democratic leader–a position chosen by Democratic senators themselves–Schumer, 75, is one of the most powerful members of the party in Washington.
He plays a central part in setting the party’s legislative agenda, political strategy and response to Republican opposition, meaning broadening dissatisfaction with his leadership could influence not only Senate priorities but also the party's direction heading into future election cycles.
Some of Schumer’s critics argue he is too soft in opposing Republican initiatives while others worry the party lacks a coherent national message and is struggling to connect with voters on key issues.
Democratic senators—including the senators-elect from the November 2026 midterms—will hold a closed-door meeting in early December 2026 to elect their leaders by secret ballot ahead of the new Congress taking office on January 3, 2027.
“I’m confident I will be elected majority leader,” Schumer said on Tuesday. “And our caucus is really united on bringing down costs, on ending the corruption, on ending the chaos, on ending the war. We have great unity in our caucus and I’ll be proud to lead it as majority leader.”
Newsweek has approached Schumer for contact via email about the opposition to his leadership.
Senator Resistance
Sanders, Slotkin and Sen. Chris Van Hollen have all signaled openness to new Democratic leadership while Warnock and Warner declined to back Schumer for now but have not yet publicly called for new leadership.
While Sanders is not a registered Democrat, the Vermont independent almost always caucuses with Senate Democrats and is expected to participate in the caucus vote to select the party's leader. “I personally have known Chuck Schumer for over 30 years, and I like Chuck. Nobody who works harder than Chuck Schumer,” Sanders told reporters at a news conference.
“But in my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be reelected as the Democratic leader.”
He later added: “The time is now to deal with the need to create an economy that works for all, not just the people on top. Do I think Chuck has been leading in that direction? No, I don’t.”
Slotkin, at the same press conference, said she was “seeking change”, later adding that should Schumer run unopposed for the position, Democrats should withhold quorum and deny the caucus enough members to hold its leadership vote.
“Whoever wants my vote is gonna have to show me a concrete plan that's definitively different,” she said. “We need leadership that’s going to govern for the entirety of the caucus, for folks from blue states, purple states and red states.”
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Meanwhile, Van Hollen urged his colleagues to “withhold commitments” until Schumer outlines his vision for the party.
“There should be no coronation of the next Democratic leader. I’ve said very clearly that we need to have a discussion in the Democratic caucus, we need to understand what the Democrats are going to do with this new responsibility and these new powers, and nobody should get a blank check without a full understanding of the caucus as to where we’re going to go.”
Senators Warnock and Warner have also both withheld support for Schumer.
Warnock told CNN, “I think we're at an inflection point in our country. Voters are demanding that we stand up and fight for them; and so any member of my caucus that feels like they should lead in this moment, I look forward to hearing their case.”
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Warner meanwhile refused to support Schumer when asked on Tuesday but went on to hail the New York senator for raising an “enormous” amount of money for Democrats.
A number of senator-elects have also announced they are withholding support or have called for new leadership. These include Senators Adam Hamilton, Troy Jackson, Annie Andrews, Peggy Flanagan, and Abdul El-Sayed.
Other Critics Of Schumer
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, better known as AOC, has also indicated she understands the dissatisfaction being expressed by some Democrats toward Schumer's leadership. “I think that this is a sentiment that is seen in a lot of places,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “So how the Senate navigates that, that’s up to their decision.”
In addition, the 600,000-strong International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union urged Schumer “not to seek another term” in an open letter to the full Senate Democratic Caucus on Monday.
Support For Schumer
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Ohio Senator-elect Sherrod Brown have all thrown their support behind Schumer publicly at this stage. Whitehouse said the Democratic swing delivered by the Midterms “certainly justifies another term” for the long-time leader.
Schumer has brushed off concerns, saying he has already secured enough support to become Senate leader–which would require him to have a majority in the caucus.
Even if some Democrats defect, Schumer could still secure re-election if he maintains majority support within the caucus.
At time of writing, no other senator has officially entered the race against him.
Contact Newsweek editor on this story: Edward Pearcey.
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