Description
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) dismissed the notion that his challenge to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for Senate majority leader would undermine Democratic unity following the midterm elections, arguing that voters had cast their ballots for change.
"These are candidates that listened to the American people and they rejected the old labels of 'progressive' or 'moderate' and ran on economic populism, the idea that we have economy that's rigged against working people and that that rigged economy's fueled by political corruption," he told reporters in Denver.
"And they ran on openness and they ran on protecting our democracy. And so, I think a little democracy in the United States Senate caucus is a good thing."
Sen. Van Hollen said he had discussed his leadership bid with Sen. Schumer and that both understood it would be a "competition."
"I think it's important to give Senate Democrats a choice," he said. "That's what we just gave voters all over the country, a choice. They chose change and I think that the Democratic caucus needs to be open to new ideas, a different way of governing, and a different way of conducting and approaching politics."
#chrisvanhollen #senate #election #cspan