Soon-to-be 76-year-old New York Senator Chuck Schumer might want to start measuring the curtains in his Senate leadership office for the next occupant. After years of running the Democratic show, the 75-year-old New York senator finally has an actual challenger – and his own party might be ready to send him packing – at least as their leader.

Yes, Democrats haven’t even taken control of the Senate yet, and they’re already fighting over who gets the keys.

According to Just the News, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announced Thursday that he’s challenging Schumer for Senate majority leader, declaring that Americans voted for change and Democrats need new leadership.

In this election, Americans called on us to unrig an economy rigged against working people & fueled by political corruption.

To deliver, we need new leadership. This isn’t about any one person – it’s about answering that call.

That’s why I’m running for Senate Majority Leader.

— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) November 13, 2026

The announcement follows growing opposition from the party’s progressive wing, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin and newly elected Sen. Abdul El-Sayed, who has already endorsed Van Hollen.

Schumer’s troubles aren’t just about age either. Progressives have criticized him for being too accommodating toward President Trump and too supportive of Israel. And lately, the party’s loudest voices have been more interested in attacking Israel than anything else.

The leadership election is scheduled for December 1, giving Democrats a few more weeks to sharpen their knives and aim them at Schumer. And the kicker? Their votes won’t be public – making it even easier to kick old Chuckie to the curb. Current and incoming Democratic senators will vote to choose their leader, and Schumer will need to secure a majority of those votes to keep his position. Schumer has stated publicly that he has that support, but with votes from secret ballots, anything could be possible.

Van Hollen admits he’s the underdog, but at least Schumer now has something he hasn’t faced in a decade of leadership: competition.

But here’s something El-Sayed and the rest of the anti-Schumer crowd might be forgetting: Schumer has been around Washington long enough to know where the political bodies are buried. He knows the players, their weaknesses and probably has a few secrets they’d rather keep buried. That kind of institutional knowledge is political leverage. And in Washington, leverage can be worth more than loyalty.