Democrats are considering removing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer from his position as the party’s leader in the upper chamber after the 2026 midterms.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) told activists in Washington that some lawmakers had done informal vote counts to figure out if there is enough support to oust him, according to The Wall Street Journal.
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Democrats began discussing the issue during a mid-February dinner in Georgetown. They are now questioning Schumer’s leadership, his negotiating style, and his strategy for the 2026 Senate elections. Murphy suggested Schumer still has enough support to survive at the moment. But it is clear frustration against Schumer is heating up.
Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced. If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) November 10, 2025
The informal vote counting matters because it shows that dissatisfaction with Schumer’s leadership has moved from private jabs to an effort to push him out. Progressive Democrats seek to push a more confrontational messaging strategy against the Trump administration and congressional Republicans. This is the latest development in the overall clash between the progressive and establishment factions of the party.
🚨 JUST IN: A growing number of Democrats are looking to OUST Chuck Schumer as Democrat Senate Leader after his party caved on the shutdown and got NOTHING in return for Obamacare 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ZEnembt7SQ
The Democrat civil war is getting worse! This is the result of…
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 10, 2025
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The anti-Schumer movement has been building for months. A group of progressive senators calling themselves the “Fight Club” has been building support for replacing Schumer as the party’s Senate leader. These include Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD.), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA.), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), according to The New York Times.
Second @WSJ headline:
“Growing Frustration With Chuck Schumer Spurs Talk of Replacing Him
Some Capitol Hill Democrats are discussing how to get the N.Y. senator to step aside as minority leader amid concerns about his negotiating style and midterms strategy”TSA lines out the…
— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) March 21, 2026
The group disagrees with how Schumer approached contested primary races in states like Minnesota, Michigan, and Maine. They accuse him and other Democratic leaders of covertly steering donors toward establishment candidates. But the Fight Club contends that the party needs nominees who are more willing to challenge corporate power and fight harder against President Donald Trump’s agenda.
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For now, Schumer is still standing — but it’s clear he’s not out of the woods just yet. Progressive Democrats are still out for blood, so to speak. Moreover, there has been a growing sense over recent years that the establishment wing of the party is not doing enough to oppose Republicans. As the midterm elections draw closer, this battle could erupt into an intraparty civil war.
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