Flanagan calls for new Senate Democratic leader
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Minnesota Senator-elect Peggy Flanagan said it is time for new Senate Democratic leadership, thanking Chuck Schumer.
Her push faces long odds with most Democratic senators still loyal to Schumer.
Background
Peggy Flanagan is Minnesota's lieutenant governor and a senator-elect, described as the first Native American woman elected to the Senate. Chuck Schumer, senator from New York, has led the Democratic caucus since 2016 (MinnPost says since 1999) and has drawn criticism from fellow Democrats over his leadership during President Donald Trump's second term, particularly from the party's liberal base. Flanagan's call comes a day after Democrats won landslide midterm victories, electing at least 10 new Democratic senators, and ahead of a December leadership election before the new Democratic-majority Congress takes office in January.
How it unfolded
- Aug 11, 2026Flanagan defeated centrist Rep. Angie Craig to win the Democratic Senate primary in Minnesota, backed by Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
- Nov 3, 2026Democrats won landslide midterm victories, electing at least 10 new Democratic senators, the largest incoming class of first-time Democratic senators in 40 years; Alaska and Mississippi results were still outstanding.
- Nov 3, 2026Unofficial secretary of state results showed Flanagan defeating Republican Michele Tafoya by 10 percentage points.
- Nov 4, 2026At her first news conference since being elected, Flanagan said she is grateful for Schumer's leadership but that it is time for new leadership of Senate Democrats.
- Nov 4, 2026As of Wednesday, Schumer did not have a challenger in the December leadership election.
Key terms
- Senate Democratic leader
- A U.S. senator chosen by their party caucus to serve as chief spokesperson and leader of the chamber's majority party.
- Democratic caucus
- The formal organization of all Democratic Party senators in the U.S. Senate, which also includes independents who caucus with them.
- corporate PAC money
- A U.S. tax-exempt organization that pools campaign contributions and donates them to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot measures, or legislation.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Party
- Flanagan said voters resoundingly signaled a new movement, noting many newly elected Democrats refused corporate PAC money and are beholden only to the people who elected them.
- Analysts
- MinnPost reported that most Democratic senators remain loyal to Schumer, especially after this week's election victory, making Flanagan's push likely a losing fight.
- Support
- Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan has called for a "new generation" of Democratic leaders, though she has not said she would vote against Schumer.
Still unverified
Results from the Alaska and Mississippi Senate races were still outstanding as of the reporting, and the Minnesota results cited were unofficial results from the secretary of state.