Sanders: Time for Dem Leadership Change11/11 06:12

   

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Bernie Sanders said Tuesday he would not be 
supporting Sen. Chuck Schumer as the Democratic majority leader in the new 
Congress, setting up a seismic confrontation after the party's sweep to power 
in the midterm elections.

   Sanders was joined by Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan at a news 
conference at the Capitol, and together they said there needs to be a new 
generation of leadership and a vigorous debate about the party's direction and 
future. A number of incoming Democratic senators have echoed the call, 
signaling that they would support another candidate over Schumer.

   "The time is now for change," said Sanders, the independent from Vermont and 
essentially the father of modern progressivism in the U.S. "And I will not be 
supporting Chuck to be reelected as the Democratic leader."

   Slotkin, who said she is not actively seeking the job herself, explained 
that she wants to see potential Senate leaders present a full plan about the 
priorities for the new majority.

   "I'm a no until and unless I see that from anyone," she said.

   The showdown has been building as Democrats marched across the Senate map to 
flip Republican-held seats far beyond those that were initially competitive, 
including in Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.

   Schumer recruited high-profile candidates that helped secure the majority, 
including Sen.-elect Sherrod Brown in Ohio and Sen.-elect Roy Cooper in North 
Carolina. But his preferred candidates also lost primaries in Michigan and 
Maine, with the progressive candidates prevailing and then going on to win 
their general elections.

   Progressives push for Maryland's Chris Van Hollen 

   Democrats, particularly in the party's progressive wing, have been 
bombarding congressional offices with phone calls saying it's time for new 
leadership. Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed and other progressives have 
pushed for Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland as a potential contender.

   Van Hollen, who has previously said he is considering a run for president in 
2028, is now also considering a run for Senate leader. It is not clear how much 
backing he would have.

   "I am in the process right now of calling my colleagues," Van Hollen said at 
a Washington event Tuesday.

   Schumer, 75, has shown few signs of stepping aside, especially after he just 
led his party to power. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, chair of the 
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, gave a full throated defense of 
Schumer on Tuesday, saying "this caucus is grateful for the work of Senator 
Schumer."

   "I'm confident I will be elected," Schumer said at the Capitol.

   Pressed about his own future in an interview with AP shortly after the 
party's election wins, Schumer said he was focused on the year ahead.

   "The focus has got to be on getting things done," he told AP.

   While Republicans have been meeting behind closed doors Tuesday to choose 
their party leaders for the next Congress, the Democrats in the Senate have 
just begun those conversations ahead of elections expected later this month.