Frustration with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is intensifying among some Democrats, with conversations quietly underway about whether he should step aside after the midterm elections, according to an exclusive Wall Street Journal report.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) told progressive activists during a February dinner that lawmakers had been conducting informal vote counts to gauge whether enough support existed to remove the New York Democrat from his leadership post, the Journal reported Friday.
Murphy told the outlet he does not recall referencing any specific tally and maintains Schumer still has the backing of the caucus. “But the disclosure stood out nonetheless, because it revealed that frustration inside the Senate had reached a high enough level that some Democrats were actively contemplating how to oust Schumer,” the report said.
Murphy is among a group of Democratic senators – including Massachusetts ' Elizabeth Warren and Minnesota's Tina Smith – who have grown dissatisfied with Schumer’s negotiating style and his approach to candidate strategy ahead of November’s elections. Some progressive lawmakers – dubbed “Fight Club” – have even discussed countering Schumer-backed candidates in key races.
Schumer dismissed the criticism, saying scrutiny “goes with the territory” of leadership and insisting his support remains “deep and strong.” Allies also say he retains enough backing to remain minority leader.
Still, some Democrats privately view the 75-year-old top Senate Democrat as an obstacle to change, “who is slowing the party’s drive to stand up to President Trump and thwarting a new generation of leadership from rising.”
Among the names quietly circulating as possible replacements when Schumer does step aside are Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Brian Schatz (D-HI), who the Journal reported is viewed as Schumer’s preferred pick.