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By Jesus Mesa
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The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has backed a challenge to Senator Chuck Schumer's bid to become Senate majority leader, after Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen announced he would run against the New York Democrat.
"We do support a challenge to New York Senator Chuck Schumer as Senate Majority Leader," DSA said in a statement to Newsweek. "Senator Schumer has consistently failed to deliver for the working class."
The group directed Newsweek to a letter-writing campaign urging senators to replace Schumer. The letter argues that Democrats' midterm victories reflected support for policies including Medicare for All and higher taxes on the wealthy, and says Schumer is not the right person to advance those priorities.
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The letter criticizes Schumer over what it describes as his "support from pro-Israel donors," "ties to corporate interests," "refusal to back abolishing ICE" and role in helping pass "Republican spending bills when Democrats had leverage."
DSA also said it would continue running candidates for offices at every level after what it called "historic successes" in November.
Newsweek contacted Schumer's office for comment by email.
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Schumer Draws a Challenger
Van Hollen announced Thursday that he would challenge Schumer for Senate majority leader. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with Democrats, and Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed have endorsed his bid.
Sanders split from Schumer on Tuesday at a Capitol news conference, after saying he had known the New Yorker for more than 30 years and liked him.
"But in my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be reelected as the Democratic leader," Sanders said.
Questions about Schumer's leadership have also extended beyond the party's progressive wing. Virginia Senator Mark Warner and Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock have not publicly committed to supporting him, while Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin urged colleagues to withhold a quorum until candidates presented a concrete plan for change.
At least six incoming Democratic senators have called for new leadership or said they will not support Schumer: Annie Andrews of South Carolina, Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota, Adam Hamilton of Kansas, Troy Jackson of Maine and Juliana Stratton of Illinois.
Schumer has expressed confidence that he will retain the leadership.
"The issue is not me. I'll be reelected as majority leader," he told reporters after the election.
Senate Democrats are scheduled to choose their leader in a closed-door, secret-ballot vote on December 1. Schumer needs a majority of the Democratic caucus to retain his position. Van Hollen has said he has the support of more than 10 senators, while Schumer maintains that he has enough votes to remain leader.
Jim Kessler, co-founder and vice president of the center-left think tank Third Way, said Schumer deserved credit for Democrats regaining control of the Senate. "Even Schumer's harshest critics within the party believe he deserves credit for that," he told Newsweek.
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DSA Arrives With More Seats
The group's influence in Congress is set to grow in January, when six DSA-backed candidates will join the House, bringing the number of lawmakers affiliated with the organization to eight. DSA also backed Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed.
The newcomers include Darializa Avila Chevalier, who defeated Representative Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Melat Kiros, who unseated 15-term Colorado Representative Diana DeGette. Claire Valdez won the Brooklyn seat vacated by retiring Representative Nydia Velázquez, while Donavan McKinney won Michigan's 13th Congressional District and Chris Rabb secured an open seat in Philadelphia. Angela Gonzales-Torres, who challenged Representative Jimmy Gomez in Los Angeles, completes the group.
They will join New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib, previously the only two DSA members serving in Congress.
National polling suggests that socialism remains unpopular with many voters.
An October Economist/YouGov poll found that 51 percent of registered voters considered capitalism the better economic system, compared with 20 percent who chose socialism.
A separate post-election CNBC Voter Poll of roughly 80,000 midterm voters found that 53 percent viewed socialism unfavorably, compared with 33 percent who viewed it favorably.
However, unfavorable views of socialism did not necessarily translate into an unwillingness to vote for democratic socialist candidates. The October Economist/YouGov poll found that 50 percent of registered voters said they would ever vote for a democratic socialist candidate, while 41 percent said they would not.
The Fetterman Question
DSA's statement also addressed a potential Democratic primary contest in Pennsylvania.
Ahmed Moor, a Gaza-born Palestinian American writer and businessman, announced Monday that he would challenge Senator John Fetterman in Pennsylvania's 2028 Democratic primary. Moor, 42, is a DSA member and the first Democrat to announce a challenge to Fetterman.
"I'm running to end the war in Iran and to promote the dignity agenda: free healthcare, free childcare, and affordable housing," Moor wrote on X.
Moor told The Philadelphia Inquirer he was "not really running against Fetterman" but was instead running "for the rule of law." Days after he announced his candidacy, X suspended his campaign account, which had attracted more than 33,000 followers. The platform did not publicly specify the reason for the suspension. Fetterman, a prominent supporter of Israel in the Senate, told reporters this week that he welcomed a challenger.
Other Democrats are also considering a challenge. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said on NBC's Meet the Press that he expected "a robust primary challenge" if Fetterman sought reelection. Representative Madeleine Dean has confirmed she is considering a run, while Representative Chris Deluzio has also been discussed as a potential challenger.
Fetterman's current term expires in January 2029. He has not announced whether he will seek reelection.
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What Comes Next
The December 1 caucus vote will test how much support Van Hollen has secured among Senate Democrats, including those who have publicly backed Schumer.
Attention is also turning to 2028, when Ocasio-Cortez could face decisions about her political future. Prediction markets have offered contracts on whether she will run for the Senate or the presidency, although she has not announced a campaign for either office.
DSA did not identify other incumbents it might challenge, saying it would "continue to run socialist candidates for all levels of local, state, and federal office."
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