Sen. Chris Van Hollen confirmed Thursday that he has no plans to challenge his colleague Chuck Schumer for the post of Senate Democratic leader after the party regained the majority in this week’s midterms — because he has his sights set on higher office.
“I’ve made clear that I’m not looking to be the next Democratic leader,” Van Hollen (D-Md.) told Fox 5 DC in an interview. “I’ve been kicking the tires on a 2028 presidential election.”
Van Hollen has been floated repeatedly as an alternative to Schumer (D-NY) by Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-Mich.), who reiterated his support for the Marylander in a separate interview earlier Thursday.
“I think he’d be an amazing Senate majority leader,” El-Sayed, the first Muslim elected to the Senate, told CNN. “Of course, that’s a choice he has to make about whether or not he wants to pursue that. It seems like he’s quite interested in another goal politically.”
While Schumer has been a frequent target for criticism from disgruntled progressives, Van Hollen was the first to be floated as a named alternative to the Brooklyn Democrat, who is up for re-election in 2028.
“Whoever’s going to be the next majority leader in the United States Senate needs to make clear to the caucus that he or she is going to do everything within our power to end the illegal and senseless war in Iran and do it now,” Van Hollen told Fox 5 DC.
“I think it’s also important that whoever is that leader is willing to pass an aggressive kitchen table agenda to help people who are being economically squeezed.
“The major point here is that we should have a discussion,” Van Hollen added. “I don’t think it’s radical to say that the Democratic Senate Caucus, including our new members, should meet and ask whoever is seeking to be the Democratic leader in the Senate what the plan is to answer the call from the American people from Tuesday.”
Van Hollen, 67, has represented Maryland in the Senate since 2017 after serving for 14 years in the House of Representatives. He made national headlines last year when he traveled to El Salvador to meet with alleged MS-13 gangbanger Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whom the Trump administration had deported from Van Hollen’s home state.
The Marylander is one of several Democratic senators thought to be considering a White House run in 2028, along with Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock of Georgia as well as Mark Kelly of Arizona.
Democrats were projected to win at least 54 Senate seats as of Friday morning and were leading in uncalled races in Alaska and Mississippi.
Should those leads hold, the 56 Senate seats in Democratic hands when the new Congress convenes Jan. 3 will represent the party’s highest total since early 2010.
