The News
Some Democrats say they won’t vote for Chuck Schumer to be Democrat leader. Others are declining to endorse him publicly as Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., weighs a challenge and dials up colleagues.
But a confident Schumer is acting like he’s staying put. And many of his colleagues are itching to skip the Democratic infighting altogether and reach the moment when Schumer is reelected Democratic leader on Dec. 1.
“Schumer has been an unpopular figure among people who don’t understand the role of the Senate party leader. And I think it probably helped them on the trail,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told Semafor. “It’s not the first time that a Senate leader has helped elected members who have opposed his leadership.”
He said he was confident when all is said and done, Schumer will emerge as the victor. Schumer is, too.
The New York senator has asserted repeatedly he’ll be the majority leader again next year. And in a sign of that confidence, he’s already plotting out a unified Democratic agenda with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. He spent his Wednesday doing things that only a returning leader would: meeting with incoming newly-elected senators like Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., and Sen.-elect Adam Hamilton, D-Kan., to discuss their priorities and what committees they’d like to serve on.
