Bernie Sanders says he won't back Chuck Schumer for Senate Democratic leader

Democrats just won control of the Senate, and they're already fighting over who should run it. Sen. Bernie Sanders said on Tuesday, November 10, that he won't support Chuck Schumer to stay on as the Senate Democratic leader. "The time is now for change," Sanders said at a news conference at the Capitol. "And I will not be supporting Chuck to be reelected as the Democratic leader."

That matters because whoever wins becomes Senate majority leader in January, one of the most powerful jobs in Washington.

What Sanders said

Sanders, the Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, didn't attack Schumer personally. He said he has known Schumer for more than 30 years and praised his work ethic, according to NBC News. His message was that the party needs new leadership for its new majority.

He wasn't alone at the microphone. Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan stood with him and also called for change, though she didn't back anyone else. "I am not actively seeking this job. I am seeking change," she said, according to NBC News. She said she wants anyone running for leader to lay out a full plan for what the new majority will do. "I'm a no until and unless I see that from anyone," she said, according to the Associated Press.

Neither Sanders nor Slotkin named a candidate of their own.

What Schumer and his allies say

Schumer, 75, sounded sure of himself. "I'm confident I will be elected," he said at the Capitol, according to AP. He said Democrats are "really united" on lowering costs, ending corruption, ending chaos and ending the war, and added: "I'll be proud to lead it as majority leader," according to NBC News.

He has defenders. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who runs the Senate Democrats' campaign arm, said "this caucus is grateful for the work of Senator Schumer." Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona said, "Chuck and I have had our differences, but at the end of the day, it's time to unify." Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who is returning to the Senate, also backs him, according to NBC News.

Schumer's supporters point to his record this year. He recruited candidates who helped win the majority, including Brown and Roy Cooper of North Carolina, both now senators-elect, according to AP. His critics point the other way: candidates he preferred lost primaries in Michigan and Maine, and the progressive winners went on to win in November.

Is there a challenger?

Not yet. Progressive activists have been urging Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland to run. He hasn't said he will. He said he's "in the process right now of calling my colleagues," according to AP, and added, "We should not have a coronation," according to NBC News. AP reports he has also been thinking about a 2028 run for president.

To keep the job, Schumer needs a majority of the Democratic caucus. Until a real challenger steps forward, he's the clear favorite, NBC News reports. Some new Democratic senators haven't committed either way.

When's the vote?

Soon. NBC News and CBS News report that Senate Democrats will pick their leaders next month; AP says later this month. Either way, it happens before the new Congress starts in January. Democrats gained at least seven Senate seats in the midterms, with the races in Mississippi and Alaska still being counted, according to NBC News.

Republicans, by contrast, have already settled their leadership. We covered that here: Republicans pick their leaders after midterm losses: Thune stays, Jordan beats Scalise.

What it means for your wallet

The majority leader decides what the Senate votes on, and what it doesn't. So this fight is really about the next two years of spending, taxes and regulation.

Sanders has spent his career pushing for bigger government programs paid for by higher taxes on the wealthy, so the more say his wing gets, the more of that agenda you can expect to see. He also pointed to budget reconciliation, a process that lets some tax and spending bills pass with a simple majority, as a way to move big legislation, according to NBC News. He wouldn't say whether he supports ending the filibuster, the 60-vote rule that forces compromise on most bills. That's one to watch, because without the filibuster, a narrow majority can pass far more.

For taxpayers, the common-sense question is the same whoever wins: will the new majority keep its promises on lowering costs without piling on more debt?

What to watch next

• Whether Van Hollen, or anyone else, actually challenges Schumer.
• How many of the new Democratic senators back Schumer.
• The date of the Democratic leadership vote, and where the new leader stands on the filibuster.