Sen.-elect Annie Andrews (D-SC) signaled on Friday that she remains against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) retaining his leadership role.
Schumer has been hit with a wave of incoming freshmen hostile to his oversight of the chamber, embodying the pressure establishment Democrats are facing from more progressive or socialist leaning members. Nine out of 11 freshman senators elected Tuesday have expressed hesitancy or stated outright opposition to Schumer remaining the upper chamber’s leader.
While she’s framed herself as a more centrist politician from South Carolina, a red state, Andrews also said shortly before the midterm elections she would not back Schumer if she won her race against Darline Graham.
This week, she reiterated the sentiment, telling Fox News, “I still very much believe it’s time for a generational change on both sides of the aisle.”
“I wouldn’t have put the career that I love aside and all this time away from my children if I was just going to go up to Washington and play party politics. People are tired of that. People need real leadership in Washington, D.C.,” Andrews said.
Sens.-elect Abdul el Sayed (D-MI), Troy Jackson (D-ME), James Talarico (D-TX), Adam Hamilton (D-KS), Juliana Stratton (D-IL), Peggy Flanagan (D-MN), Josh Turek (D-IA), and Chris Pappas (D-NH).
The two newly elected senators who have appeared to stand by Schumer are Sens.-elect Roy Cooper (D-NC) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
Schumer also faces turmoil among his own ranks. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are among those in the current Democratic caucus who have suggested they’ll back a new figure for leadership.
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Still, he retains key support from some in his caucus,
“Schumer delivering a Democratic Senate certainly justifies another term as leader,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) told Politico earlier this week.