Incoming Sen. Peggy Flanagan Backs Van Hollen's Challenge to Schumer

Bernie Sanders has endorsed the Maryland senator, while Schumer says he already has the votes to stay Democratic leader.

Peggy Flanagan hasn't taken her Senate seat yet, and she's already picked a side in the fight over who'll run it. The Minnesota Democrat said Friday she is backing Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, The Hill reported. He launched a bid Thursday to unseat Chuck Schumer as majority leader, CBS News reported.

Flanagan is part of Van Hollen's case against Schumer. In an interview with MS NOW, he said a party leader has no business choosing sides in open Democratic primaries. He named Flanagan and Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed as two senators who "wouldn't be there if the current majority leader had his way," according to CBS.

Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed Van Hollen the same night. Schumer, 75, who's run the caucus since 2017, answered on X: "55 seats and counting is an amazing result — and I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader." Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen came out for Schumer Thursday night. Van Hollen, 67, admits he's the underdog.

Some Democrats haven't picked either man yet. Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin said whoever wants her vote has to show her "a concrete plan that's definitively different."

Senate Democrats are expected to choose their leader early next month, CBS reported. That's close to the Dec. 11 government funding deadline. Van Hollen argues Democrats should treat that deadline as leverage to get the Trump administration out of the war with Iran, and that it "should not be a finger-in-the-wind issue."

Source: NPR, retrieved November 13, 2026. Other sources: CBS News, The Hill.