Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-MI) said Senate Democrats need new leadership, a position that rules out his support for Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to continue as the party's leader in the chamber. El-Sayed named Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) as the Democrat he would prefer to see run for majority leader. Reports have indicated that Van Hollen is weighing a 2028 presidential campaign.
Abdul El-Sayed speaks after winning the state's US Senate race. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)"I'd love to see him run," El-Sayed said of Van Hollen. "It seems that he has his sights set on another prize. But I've been very clear that I think we need new leadership."
El-Sayed did not commit to any candidate. "But a vote is a choice between two options," he said of the leadership race. "I don't know what the options are right now. So let's see who comes out of the woodwork and is excited to lead."
The incoming senator's stance puts him at odds with the leader who backed his general election campaign. Schumer did not start out in El-Sayed's corner. In the Democratic primary, Schumer first supported El-Sayed's rival, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) of Birmingham. After El-Sayed won the nomination, Schumer threw his support behind him.
Frustration with Schumer's leadership has simmered among Democrats in recent years, even as the party flipped at least seven Republican-held seats. He READ MORE AT SOURCE »
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