Sen. Chuck Schumer was unanimously reelected to serve another two years as the Senate Democratic leader Tuesday, ahead of the party officially losing control of the upper chamber in January.
In an internal party meeting, Democrats largely kept their current slate of party leaders, with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) getting elevated to serve as Chair of the Steering and Policy Committee replacing retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) in the No. 3 perch.
“I am honored and humbled to be chosen by my colleagues to continue leading Senate Democrats during this crucial period for our country,” Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement.
“As I have long said, our preference is to secure bipartisan solutions wherever possible and look for ways to collaborate with our Republican colleagues to help working families,” he continued. “However, our Republican colleagues should make no mistake about it, we will always stand up for our values.”
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) will also chair the Strategic Communications Committee, a newly created role.
Others kept their positions including Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) as incoming Minority Whip; Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) as vice chairs of the conference; Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as chair of outreach; Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) as vice chair of outreach; Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) as conference secretary; and Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) as deputy conference secretaries.
The Senate Democrats’ leadership vote comes as the party grapples with the aftermath of a brutal 2024 election cycle in which they lost control of the White House and Senate as Republicans flipped four seats.
Some progressives in the party have called for more dramatic shakeups within the party in response, but at least among Senate Democrats, the party largely appears to be staying the course.
“Our caucus has led the way in passing historic legislation that has improved the lives of millions of Americans and we remain laser focused on addressing the most pressing challenges facing our country,” Schumer reflected on his party’s record.
“We have a lot of work ahead—in the Senate and as a country—and in this upcoming Congress, our caucus will continue to fight for what’s best for America’s working class.”
On the House side, several Democrats have announced challenges against incumbent leaders for key roles, particularly ranking member positions on committees.
The next Senate is set to have 53 Republican seats and 47 seats controlled by Democrats or Independents or caucus with them.
