Schumer loses moderate support amid Democratic divide
The gist
Schumer says he will be re-elected majority leader despite at least seven freshmen refusing to commit.
Next month's private caucus vote will test his near-decade hold on Senate Democrats.
How it unfolded
- Mar 2025Schumer backed off a spending fight with President Trump rather than force a government shutdown; activists called for his ouster and protesters jeered outside his Brooklyn home.
- May 2026A New York Times/Siena poll found Schumer viewed favorably by only about one-third of Democrats.
- Sep 2026Senator-elect Adam Hamilton of Kansas told CNN the party needed "new younger leadership, young blood."
Key terms
- majority leader
- A U.S. senator chosen by their party caucus to serve as chief spokesperson and leader of the chamber's majority party.
- caucus
- Formed or joined a group of members of the same political party or movement.
- midterms
- US general elections held near the midpoint of a president's four-year term, when all House seats and about a third of Senate seats are contested.
Source: Wikipedia