Politics
Van Hollen Drops 2028 White House Bid to Challenge Schumer for Senate Leadership
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said Friday he is no longer pursuing a presidential run in 2028, focusing instead on his insurgent campaign to unseat Chuck Schumer as Senate Democratic leader. The announcement came at a Denver conference where Democrats are debating their party's future.
DENVER â Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said Friday he will not run for president in 2028, choosing instead to pour his energy into an upstart bid to lead Senate Democrats in the next Congress.
"I am no longer pursuing that," the two-term Maryland senator told reporters at the What's Next conference in Denver, where Democrats are gathered to discuss the future of their party. "I believe that the size and scale of these majorities provides an opportunity for the United States Senate to answer the call of the American people."
The decision comes one day after Van Hollen formally launched a challenge to longtime Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, setting up a divisive leadership fight at a moment when Senate Democrats are celebrating a newly won majority.
Van Hollen, 67, had previously signaled interest in a White House run, telling reporters it might be easier to effect major change outside of Congress. "It's pretty clear that operating from within the confines of the halls of Congress is not a successful recipe for actually getting change," he said on a podcast in June. "Too often, we are in a bubble."
His leadership bid has quickly drawn support from prominent progressive figures, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sens.-elect Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota and Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan. Van Hollen acknowledged on MS NOW that he is the "underdog" in the race but said he has more than 10 commitments among the 55 Democrats who will vote. Schumer, however, has said he has the votes to remain leader, and several senators have publicly backed him.
The contest has forced senators who had hoped to avoid a contested race to take sides. Van Hollen made his calculation plain in an interview after announcing his bid: "People will have to make a decision one way or the other."
Democrats are discussing whether to move up their leadership elections to next week to short-circuit a drawn-out fight; otherwise, the secret-ballot election is scheduled for Dec. 1.
The Maryland senator has framed his challenge around bringing more democracy to the caucus. "I think the American people want to see a little bit more democracy in the Senate Democratic Caucus," he said.
Van Hollen's decision to forgo a presidential run narrows the field of potential Democratic contenders for 2028, though the race remains wide open. For Maryland, it means a senator fully focused on a leadership fight that could reshape the direction of the Senate Democratic caucus â and with it, the party's agenda on climate, economic justice and democratic reform.