• Analysis
Incoming Democratic senators withhold support from Chuck Schumer as majority leader
Several incoming Democratic senators say they do not want Chuck Schumer as their next majority leader, though Schumer likely still holds enough votes in his caucus to stay the party's Senate leader.
A group of incoming Democratic senators is declining to back Chuck Schumer in the race for the party's Senate leadership, even though he appears likely to have the votes in his caucus to remain top Democrat.
The senators-elect backing away
Annie Andrews, the senator-elect from South Carolina, said on Fox News's Bret Baier's Thursday program that her party needs new leadership and she would not commit to Schumer. Asked whether she would back him, Andrews said: "I still very much believe it's time for generational change on both sides of the aisle."
- •Adam Hamilton, the Kansas senator-elect, said on CNN while campaigning that he would not back Schumer for the party's top Senate job. Hamilton, who made independence from the Democratic party a theme of his campaign, is the first Democrat to win a Kansas Senate seat in 94 years.
- •Abdul El-Sayed, the senator-elect from Michigan, again declined on CNN on Thursday to support Schumer and said he wanted to consider other options.
- •James Talarico of Texas, Juliana Stratton of Illinois, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota and Troy Jackson of Maine are also among the incoming Democrats who have not backed Schumer.
Schumer's position
Schumer, who is 75 and has served as the Democrats' leader in the Senate since 2017, told reporters on Wednesday he was not worried about his bid. "I'll be re-elected as majority leader," he said.
He urged his party to rally around one another. "The issue is not me … the issue is focusing on the American people and what they want," Schumer told reporters.
Why the caucus pressure is building
The dissent comes as Democratic voters have signalled they want newer and younger leadership, and as progressive Democrats have won major local and state elections over the last two years. With a comfortable majority secured in both the House and Senate, the incoming Congress will be positioned to push back on Donald Trump's administration and pass promised legislation.
As of Friday afternoon, Schumer was running uncontested, with no other Senate Democrat having officially entered the race for the leadership.
