'Time for New Leadership': Peggy Flanagan Calls for Democrats to Replace Chuck Schumer

Minnesota Senator-elect Peggy Flanagan called Wednesday for Senate Democrats to replace Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, renewing a campaign pledge a day after winning her race and helping Democrats secure control of both chambers of Congress. “I am tremendously grateful for Chuck Schumer’s leadership,” Flanagan said at her first news conference since defeating Republican Michele Tafoya, the Minnesota Reformer reported. “One of the things that we heard last night, resoundingly across the country, is that we are in … a new movement in this country,” Flanagan said. “Many of us were elected who refused corporate PAC money, who are beholden only to the people who elected us and are ready to fight for bold change. And so I think it’s time for new leadership.” Flanagan gave no name for a replacement. Schumer, who has led Senate Democrats for about a decade, faces a leadership vote in December before the new Congress takes office in January. As of Wednesday, no Democrat had entered the race against him. If he keeps the job, he is in line to become majority leader again. Flanagan argued that Tuesday’s results gave Democrats a reason to change who leads them in the Senate. She pointed to newly elected candidates who turned down corporate political action committee money and ran on promises of broader policy changes. Two other incoming Democrats, Abdulrahman El-Sayed of Michigan and Juliana Stratton of Illinois, have also said they will oppose Schumer for leader, the Wall Street Journal reported. Schumer had broad support among Senate Democrats heading into the midterms, the Associated Press (AP) reported in October. He had drawn criticism from within the party in 2025 after voting to advance a Republican spending bill that kept the government open. Democrat senators who spoke with the AP before the election saw no clear successor. Flanagan defeated Tafoya by 10.15 percentage points, keeping the Senate seat in Democrat hands after Sen. Tina Smith chose not to seek reelection. Flanagan received 1,520,865 votes (53.71 percent) to Tafoya’s 1,233,464 (43.56 percent), according to unofficial results posted by the Minnesota secretary of state at 7:58 p.m. EST Wednesday, with all 4,105 precincts reporting.