Van Hollen Passes on Senate Leadership Fight and Eyes 2028 Run

WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has ruled out a challenge to Chuck Schumer for Senate majority leader and is instead weighing a run for president in 2028, leaving the longtime leader without a declared challenger as Democrats prepare to take control of the chamber in January.

Van Hollen, who has been mentioned in Democratic circles as a possible alternative to Schumer, told Fox 5 DC on Thursday that he is “not looking to be the next Democratic leader” and is instead “kicking the tires” on a White House bid. A spokesperson confirmed the position to Capital News Service on Friday, saying the senator is “not looking at the majority leader role.”

The decision removes the most prominent name from a leadership contest that has divided the party since Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections on 3 November. Schumer, 75, who has led the Senate Democratic caucus since 2017, has said he will seek the post again when the caucus votes by secret ballot in the coming weeks. As of Friday, no Democrat had formally announced a challenge to him.

No endorsement, and no blank check

Van Hollen has declined to endorse Schumer for another term, and he has urged colleagues to withhold their commitments until the party agrees on how it intends to use its new majority.

“The major point is that we should have a discussion,” Van Hollen told Fox 5 DC. He has said the caucus needs “a full and open debate” before choosing its next leader, adding: “I don’t think it should be automatic.”

His spokesperson put it in similar terms to Capital News Service, saying Van Hollen believes the caucus first needs “an honest and open conversation” about how to move forward as a party, and that the new Democratic majorities should use their power to “push a proactive, economic agenda.”

Van Hollen, who has served in the Senate since 2017 and is in his second term, has previously chaired the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. He has said he expects to decide by early 2027 whether to run for president or seek re-election to the Senate, where his current term expires in 2029.

His office framed the possible presidential run as an effort to shape the party’s direction. The senator is “actively ‘kicking the tires’ on the 2028 presidential election to shape the direction of the party and the country as we fight to end a rigged economy and overhaul a corrupt political system,” his spokesperson said.

An Iran condition for the next leader

Van Hollen has also tied his support for whoever leads the caucus to the war in Iran, setting a condition that has become a fault line inside the party.

“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,” he said.

A party still arguing over its future

The leadership question has exposed a wider argument about the party’s direction after a midterm victory that gave Democrats their largest congressional majority in decades. Several newly elected senators have refused to commit to Schumer, including senators-elect from Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, South Carolina, Texas and Michigan. Democrats are projected to win control of the Senate with at least 54 seats.

Michigan Sen.-elect Elissa Slotkin has not ruled out running herself, and she joined Van Hollen in declining to back Schumer at a gathering of party activists in Washington on Saturday.

Abdul El-Sayed, the Michigan senator-elect who is set to become the first Muslim member of the Senate, publicly endorsed Van Hollen for the leadership post on Thursday, telling CNN: “I’ve been very clear: I think he’d be an amazing Senate majority leader.” El-Sayed, whom Van Hollen backed during his own campaign, added that Van Hollen “seems like he’s quite interested in another goal politically,” an apparent reference to a presidential run.

What happens next

The caucus is expected to choose its leader in the coming weeks, ahead of the new Congress convening in January. Schumer remains the firm favourite: he needs only majority support among Democratic senators, and no rival has stepped forward.