Chris Van Hollen launches bid to lead Democrats in US Senate

US Senator Chris Van Hollen has said he is running for Senate majority leader as Democrats gear up to take charge of the US Congress in January following a Democratic landslide in this month’s midterm elections. Van Hollen said in a post on X late on Thursday that Americans had “called on us to unrig an economy rigged against working people & fueled by political corruption”. “To deliver, we need new leadership,” he said, adding that “this isn’t about any one person – it’s about answering that call”.

US Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed from Michigan was the first to back Van Hollen’s decision to run. In a post on X, El-Sayed said: “I called on Sen. Chris Van Hollen to lead our caucus as a candidate back in April because he leads with courage and experience.” “We need both right now.

Which is why I’m proud to stand with him in his bid to lead our Senate majority,” El-Sayed said. On Thursday, Democratic Party leaders gathered in Denver, Colorado, for a two-day conference on the future of the party, following the sweeping victories in the midterms.