Schumer allies say he has votes to retain Senate Democratic leadership, reject Van Hollen push tied to filibuster

Senate Democrats are set for a leadership test after Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announced plans to challenge Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) for majority leader, and allies of Schumer said Friday they expect Schumer to win with “more than 40” votes in the Democratic caucus vote.

In the latest dispute over internal party control, Schumer allies described Van Hollen’s challenge as a “distraction” tied to the Senate’s debate rules, according to coverage of the leadership contest. The allies argued that changing or ending the filibuster is not the focus of the leadership election and said the race should not be treated as a referendum on Senate procedure.

The Democratic leadership vote is taking place against a backdrop of party math in the Senate. Reporting on the contest said the Democratic caucus will have at least 55 members and possibly 56, depending on membership at the time of the leadership contest. Against that backdrop, Schumer allies asserted that the coalition supporting Schumer is large enough to secure majority-leader status regardless of the procedural debate being raised by the challenger.

Multiple outlets reported that Van Hollen’s bid would force a Democratic caucus vote to decide leadership, with Schumer responding that he has the votes to remain in the role. Roll Call reported that Van Hollen announced the challenge but that Schumer indicated he had sufficient support, setting the stage for a formal test within the Democratic conference.