Van Hollen Challenges Schumer for Senate Democratic Leadership

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has issued a formal challenge to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for Senate Democratic leadership, Fox News reported. The network placed the challenge after a Democratic election sweep and said Van Hollen had accused Schumer of siding with AIPAC.

Fox News described the contest as one for Senate Democratic leader. The summary of its report did not describe a timetable for any vote on the leadership question, and it did not state an outcome.

Alexander Bolton reported for The Hill that Democratic Sen.-elect Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota announced Friday that she backs Van Hollen in his challenge to Schumer. The Hill said Flanagan's statement cited demands for change from Minnesotans and said Democrats need to deliver. It quoted her as saying that "new voices in our leadership" was where that process starts.

The Hill described the post at stake differently from Fox News. According to The Hill, Van Hollen is challenging Schumer to become Senate majority leader next year, while Fox News referred to the post as Senate Democratic leader. The reports available do not reconcile those two descriptions.

Neither report, as summarized, identified Schumer's response to the challenge or any other senators who have taken a position. Both accounts are based on the summaries available to this newspaper, and the fuller texts of the reports may contain additional detail.

Sources: Fox News: Van Hollen challenges Schumer for Senate leadership after Democratic election sweep; The Hill: Democratic Sen.-elect Flanagan backs Van Hollen over Schumer.