SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:
Democrats say they have a mandate to deliver change next year, but as the party gets ready to retake a majority in Congress, there are divides over how far that change should go and who should lead it. It's a debate playing out in the Senate where minority leader Chuck Schumer now faces a challenge from fellow Democrat Chris Van Hollen for the top job next year. Here to break down what we know is NPR's Elena Moore in the studio with me. Hi, Elena.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Hey, Sacha.
PFEIFFER: So last night, Van Hollen announced he's running. For people who don't know him, what should we know about him?
MOORE: Yeah, he's had a pretty long career in Washington, representing Maryland in the Senate since 2017 and serving more than a decade in the House before that, where he held some leadership roles. Ideologically, he's seen as more progressive than Schumer is, and he's tried to position himself in recent years as someone who pushes back hard against the Trump administration. Notably, last year, he lobbied for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man who was wrongly deported to a prison in El Salvador, and Van Hollen actually traveled there to meet with him.
PFEIFFER: And what is Van Hollen's argument for why he should have the Senate's top job?
MOORE: Well, he argues that the midterms showed how much voters want Democrats to reject the status quo. You know, speaking to reporters earlier today at a Democratic conference in Colorado, he argued he's the best person to usher in that change.
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CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: This is about answering the call of the American people because what I'm very afraid of is that their calls to end political corruption, their calls to end a rigged economic system, will require that we organize the Senate in a different way.
MOORE: And, Sacha, those talking points may sound kind of familiar because we kind of just heard them on the campaign trail. Van Hollen is really embracing much of the same messaging used by successful Democratic Senate candidates this cycle, like Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, who made, you know, their campaigns all about this idea of rejecting the establishment, which, in many ways, Schumer has long embodied.
PFEIFFER: And that message has been successful for some candidates, but...
MOORE: Right.
PFEIFFER: ...In many ways, Van Hollen kind of embodies older school politics. So what makes him think he is an embodiment of change right now?
MOORE: Yeah, and also he's only eight years younger than Schumer, which I think is also kind of important to mention. But it is an important question. On the issues, it's worth noting that he and Schumer are pretty aligned on the party's big-picture priorities. They've both emphasized the need to lower costs, you know, end the war and reverse some of the Trump administration's funding cuts.
I think the bigger difference between the two politicians is how they talk about reforming the Democratic Party. You know, Van Hollen has talked about the Senate being taken over by special interest groups, which hits on a pretty big rift within the caucus right now about campaign donations from super PACs as well as pro-Israel lobbying groups like AIPAC, which is a group that has supported Schumer in the past.
PFEIFFER: And I know that Van Hollen has said he hopes to rally support from the party's left flank. But can you tell if the opposition to Schumer is being driven mainly by progressives, or is there broader appetite for an alternative inside the party?
MOORE: Yeah. It's important to say Schumer is by no means universally loved inside the party, right? You know, towards the start of Trump's second term, he was actually criticized both within the halls of Congress and from voters who argued he wasn't doing enough to fight back against Trump.
Yes, some of that frustration is coming from progressives, like, you know, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, for example. But, Sacha, it's not just the party's left flank. You know, earlier this week, Sanders actually held a press conference alongside Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, who's way more of a moderate, I would say. And the two both announced that they wouldn't be backing Schumer for the job.
And, you know, when looking at the broader caucus, dissatisfaction with Schumer may not translate to a victory for Van Hollen, per se, but, you know, he knows he's the underdog here. Schumer says he's confident he has the support needed. But there's also time for both of these politicians to try to make gains. Ultimately, this is going to come down to a secret ballot vote in early December.
PFEIFFER: That is NPR political reporter Elena Moore. Thank you.
MOORE: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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