Please understand how remarkable this week’s Democratic victory is—and how critical it is we don’t let Chuck Schumer muck it up. Democrats did not just flip an unprecedented number of red seats and states. They did it while combatting immense voter suppression, racial gerrymandering, voter roll purges, and the thousands of polling place closures that followed Shelby County v. Holder. (Closures in disproportionally Black and Latino communities).
The voters did their part. Now the party has to do its part. Chuck Schumer says he expects to be reelected Senate Majority Leader. If ever there was a way to kill Democratic momentum, it would be to allow Schumer back into the powerful position that enabled Trump to return to the White House with a Senate Majority. Schumer’s failures are well documented, and any insinuation that he gets credit for Tuesday’s wins is laughable at best. These wins happened not because of him, but despite him. Let’s Address This.
The New Senators Have Already Spoken
We are now at eight senator-elects who have stated they oppose Chuck Schumer as majority leader, and do not plan to vote for him. This is the new era of leadership we demand. Among them:
Dr. Annie Andrews (South Carolina) will not support Schumer.
Peggy Flanagan (Minnesota) has called for new Senate leadership and will not support Schumer.
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (Michigan) has called for a new leader.
Adam Hamilton (Kansas) will not support Schumer.
Juliana Stratton (Illinois) will not support Schumer.
Chris Pappas (New Hampshire) will not support Schumer.
James Talarico (Texas) will not commit to Schumer.
Troy Jackson (Maine) will not support Schumer.
As a bonus, Scott Colom should win his Mississippi Senate seat, and has remained loudly critical of the DSCC for refusing to support and back Mississippi. I cannot imagine he is too pleased with Schumer, who only entered the race in the final weak with nominal support. Listen, these are not Beltway critics. These are the senators-elect who just won in Kansas, South Carolina, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, and New Hampshire.
Meanwhile, Schumer recruited Alexander Vindman in Florida—who lost by double digits to Angie Nixon. He recruited Janet Mills in Maine—who didn’t even make it to the primary. He recruited Haley Stevens in Michigan—who defected after she lost the primary and supported MAGA Mike Rogers.
We need a Senate Majority Leader who reflects this new era. The aforementioned senators-elect are that new era. They gave Democrats the senate majority on the backs of working people. Their voices must be heard as they know first hand what the people want. And given that Schumer’s approval rating is 13%, what the people want is a new leader. Because it isn’t just about those who were elected despite Schumer’s failures, but those who were not because of Schumer’s failures.
The Seats We Should Have Won
Angie Nixon in Florida. Jamie Davis in Louisiana. Everett Wess in Alabama. All three lost by single digits. And again, Scott Colom’s race in Mississippi is coming down to a few dozen votes and ballot curing.
I’ll say it plainly. If Chuck Schumer hadn’t let his arrogance, incompetence, and racism interfere, and had actually supported Black candidates, we would have elected Angie Nixon in Florida, Jamie Davis in Louisiana, and even Everett Wess in Alabama. If Scott Colom had another $1 million, we wouldn’t be ballot curing right now.
We could have locked in four new Black senators and flipped four more red seats. Just imagine the brilliance of a 58-42 Democratic Senate majority. Given the Democrats’ favorable map in 2028, we could viably be in a position to single handedly break the 60 vote filibuster threshold. Instead, Schumer’s racism and incompetence won out, and three amazing Black candidates will have to try again in two years, should that opportunity even arise.
Progressives Win. The Centrists Were Wrong.
This ultimately boils down to Schumer’s complete detachment with the Democratic Party and with voters. He is a center right corporate funded pro-AIPAC politician. The American people are looking for populist, progressive, and principled public servants. For example, we were told that Michigan is purple and needs a centrist like Haley Stevens to win, and that a progressive like Dr. Abdul El-Sayed would lose badly to a Republican.
Abdul won by seven points. That is a larger margin than Trump or Slotkin in 2024, than Biden or Peters in 2020, than Stabenow in 2018, than Trump in 2016. The last time a President or Senator won Michigan by a larger margin was Barack Obama as an incumbent President in 2012.
These facts still won’t convince centrist consultants, because admitting Abdul was right kills their paycheck. Centrists pearl clutch—progressives win elections. And we need one such progressive in the Majority seat. Because the Senate Majority Leader controls what reaches the floor. This fight is not about one man. It is about whether the Senate ever votes on the bills that the American people want passed—including Medicare for all, ending corporate money in politics, and strengthening economic justice—all things Schumer either opposes or has wholly failed to pursue.
But Schumer has proven that he has no interest in taking the fight to Republicans. He’s already talked about “working with Trump” and “hoping Trump has changed.” Despite the historic mandate handed to Democrats by the American people—Schumer wants to work with a fascist party who despises the American people. Honestly, do you think Trump would ever discuss “bipartisanship” if Americans handed Republicans a generational election win? Not a chance. Chuck Schumer may as well be Charlie Brown with Trump as Lucy holding the football.
He falls for it every time, but the American people can bear no more.
Because meanwhile, the communities that powered this victory, Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and working-class Americans, have waited long enough for power that is truly theirs. They deserve a leader who fights for them first.
Who Should Lead Instead
If you follow my writing you know that I don’t just identify injustices, I provide meaningful solutions as well. We have far better options for Majority leader, and it’s time to embrace them. Here are just three for consideration, and there are certainly more:
Chris Van Hollen of Maryland flew to El Salvador to demand the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father wrongfully deported to a Salvadoran prison. He flew to Egypt outside the Gaza border to report on Israel’s genocide. He has been a relentless progressive fighting for Medicare for All and standing up to Trump’s fascism. That is moral courage in the Senate.
Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is the architect of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and has spent her career taking on the corporations and billionaires who rig the system against working families. She would be an outstanding pick as Majority Leader.
Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota, who will be the first Indigenous woman in the U.S. Senate, is a true change agent. She has already called for new Senate leadership, and she embodies the era voters just chose. Some might consider her too young and inexperienced, but if “experience” is what guided Chuck Schumer, then no thanks. Flanagan has the vision, the courage, and the ability to communicate and coalition build to serve in this key role.
Whoever it is, the standard is simple: a leader who will back every candidate in every state, make voter protections the first order of business, and truly return power to the most marginalized of communities. Schumer has proven he is not capable of any of these things—it is long past time for him to go.
What You Can Do
Quite simply—raise your voice. Next month the Democratic Senate caucus will choose its Senate Majority leader, and they need to hear from you. They listen to pressure. If a Democrat represents you in the Senate, call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and tell their office: do not vote for Chuck Schumer for Senate Majority Leader. Then share this article with everyone you know.
This is the new era of leadership we demand. The American people have given our elected officials a mandate. This is not the time to slow down, but to lean in and demand results. Let’s elect a Senate Majority Leader with the courage and conviction to deliver.
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Qasim Rashid is a human rights attorney, author, and host of Let’s Address This, a platform dedicated to human rights, people-powered politics, and the accountability that corporate media refuses to deliver. Subscribe, share, and let’s remain relentless in our mission for a more perfect Union.
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Him throwing Angie Nixon under the bus was enough for me.
His relationship with AIPAC is just extra garbage on the pile.
No Schumer and no Jeffries. We need non-AIPAC Dems.