Sanders and Slotkin Say They Will Not Back Schumer for Majority Leader

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, that he will not support Sen. Chuck Schumer to be re-elected as Democratic leader when the party takes control of the Senate. Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan said at a joint appearance with Sanders on Capitol Hill that she will not back Schumer for majority leader either.

Sanders is an independent who caucuses with Democrats. He told reporters he knows Schumer well and respects his work, and then said the caucus needs a change at the top.

"I personally have known Chuck Schumer for over 30 years, and I like Chuck. Nobody who works harder than Chuck Schumer. But in my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be reelected as the Democratic leader," Sanders said.

A joint call for a new plan

Slotkin set out what she wants to see from anyone who hopes to lead the caucus. She said a candidate for leader should present a plan. She said election night made clear that voters wanted change. She also said she is not seeking the majority leader post herself.

Sanders went further on the shape of the December contest. He said Schumer will face opposition, even though no challenger has stepped forward in public so far.

"He's not going to run unopposed, I don't think," Sanders said.

No one has launched a formal challenge to Schumer yet. That leaves the race open less than a month before Senate Democrats choose their leaders, with two senators now on record against the sitting leader and no declared alternative in the field.

One name discussed, no challenger yet

Slotkin said she had a productive conversation with Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland about his potential candidacy. Van Hollen is the one senator named in the reporting as a possible challenger.

Van Hollen demurred on Tuesday when he was asked if he would challenge Schumer. He did not announce a candidacy, and he did not rule the reporting in or out beyond that response. Slotkin did not endorse Van Hollen or any other senator at the joint appearance.

The positions Sanders and Slotkin took are public breaks with Schumer from inside his own caucus. The Hill reported that the two senators would not back Schumer as leader of the incoming Democratic majority, and that their statements underscored tensions in the caucus after the party's midterm victories.

Schumer says he is confident

Schumer answered briefly when reporters put the question to him on Tuesday. Asked if he is confident he will be elected Senate Majority Leader, Schumer said yes.

Schumer has led Senate Democrats since 2017. He has held the top caucus post through minority and majority years, and the December vote will decide whether he keeps it when the new Senate is sworn in.

Senate Democrats will hold their leadership elections in December. Until that vote, the contest Sanders described has statements of opposition, one name discussed in private conversation, and a leader who says he expects to win. What it does not yet have is a declared challenger.