Van Hollen Accuses Schumer Team of Spreading Misinformation in Senate Leadership Race

Sen. Chris Van Hollen announced on Thursday that he will challenge Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer for the post of majority leader.

The Maryland Democrat launched his bid during an interview on MS NOW’s “The Briefing with Jen Psaki,” setting up a direct contest against Schumer, who has led Senate Democrats for nearly a decade. Van Hollen pointed to what he called a generational opportunity following an election cycle that gave Senate Democrats at least 55 seats, and potentially 56 pending an Alaska race, according to reporting by The Hill.

“I am planning to run for the Senate majority leader, and let me tell you why,” Van Hollen told Psaki.

“This is not about any one individual, but it is about answering the call of the American people.”

Schumer’s team has pushed back on the challenge, with allies predicting the incumbent will secure more than 40 votes in the secret-ballot caucus election scheduled for December, The Hill reported. Schumer told reporters he is confident of winning the leadership contest.

Van Hollen Accuses Schumer's Team of Spreading Misinformation

Van Hollen appeared on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday to accuse Schumer’s team of trying to scare Senate Democrats away from supporting his bid.

“I think there’s a very open lane here. The Schumer team’s put out a lot of misinformation,” Van Hollen said on ABC. “They’re essentially trying to instill fear in people who may say that they’re going to support me as a new leader. But that’s part of the problem. That’s part of the old system.”

Van Hollen did not specify the misinformation on ABC, but in a separate interview on “Fox News Sunday,” he claimed Schumer’s team circulated a list that counted some of his own supporters as votes for Schumer. Van Hollen told Fox News that he has the support of about 15 senators and that the number is growing.

Public commitments for Van Hollen include progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders and Jeff Merkley, along with Sens.-elect Abdul El-Sayed and Peggy Flanagan, according to The Hill. Schumer’s supporters point to public commitments from both centrists and progressives, including incoming Senate Democratic Whip Brian Schatz.

Schumer Allies Push for Earlier Vote

Schumer’s allies are discussing the possibility of moving up the date of the leadership election from the first week of December to take advantage of his early whip count, The Hill reported. Allies want to unify the caucus quickly to prevent internal squabbling from dominating news cycles.

Van Hollen’s supporters argue that the push to change caucus rules shows panic rather than confidence.

“This is a classic ‘tell versus show’ situation,” a former Senate Democratic chief of staff told The Hill. “What he’s telling is that he has the votes and this isn’t competitive but what he’s showing by trying to change caucus rules is panic.”

Other Senate insiders expressed frustration that the public contest could distract from the party’s message on affordability and other economic priorities.

Questions About the Senate Democratic Leadership Election

When is the Senate Democratic leadership election scheduled?

The election is scheduled for the first week of December, though Schumer’s allies have discussed the possibility of moving the date up, according to The Hill.

How many Senate seats do Democrats hold for the upcoming session?

Senate Democrats will have at least 55 members, with the possibility of 56 depending on the outcome of Alaska’s Senate race, as reported by The Hill.

How long has Chuck Schumer led Senate Democrats?

Schumer has led Senate Democrats for almost a decade, taking over the role in 2017 when Van Hollen arrived in the chamber, according to MS NOW.