Sen. Chris Murphy was dining with progressive activists at a French restaurant in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood when the discussion turned to advancing legislative priorities and the role of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
According to people familiar with the mid-February gathering, Murphy told attendees that some lawmakers had conducted informal vote counts to assess whether there was sufficient support to replace Schumer as leader, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Murphy indicated that Schumer ultimately retained enough backing to remain in his position. However, the conversation underscored growing frustration within parts of the Democratic caucus, where some members have at least privately explored the possibility of a leadership challenge.
Murphy is among a group of senators and senior advisers who have grown increasingly dissatisfied with the leadership of Chuck Schumer, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The group is said to include Elizabeth Warren, who has held conversations with colleagues to assess concerns about Schumer’s leadership. Tina Smith has also participated in discussions expressing frustration, with aides reportedly exploring potential scenarios for a leadership challenge.
In an interview, Murphy said he is frequently asked about Senate leadership but does not have a tally of senators who would support removing Schumer and does not recall referencing such a count. “Could someone infer from that that someone was keeping a count? Maybe, but that’s not what I meant,” Murphy said. “I meant that he has the support of the caucus.”
He added that he still supports Schumer personally. But in interviews with more than four dozen Democratic senators, candidates, current and former congressional aides, activists, and advisers, many described concerns about the leadership of Chuck Schumer as widespread within the party, the WSJ reported.
According to attendees and others familiar with the discussions, meetings among Democratic chiefs of staff on Senate business have at times shifted toward expressing dissatisfaction with Schumer and exploring ways to pressure him to step aside following the November elections.
Murphy, Warren, and Smith are part of a group of senators informally referred to as “Fight Club,” according to people familiar with internal discussions. Members of the group have expressed frustration with Chuck Schumer’s approach to the midterm elections, particularly his support for more centrist candidates in competitive races.
Some within the group argue that this strategy overlooks the energy generated by a newer group of candidates aligned with the party’s progressive wing.
According to those familiar with the conversations, the senators have communicated through a Signal group chat where they have discussed ways to counter candidates backed by Schumer. The existence of the group was previously reported by The New York Times.
The divisions over Schumer’s leadership reflect broader tensions within the Democratic Party about its direction and strategy. Some of the frustration stems from his handling of last year’s prolonged government shutdown and an earlier spending dispute.
Several Democrats have also raised concerns about Schumer’s leadership style, saying he tends to closely guard decision-making, leaving other members with limited input on key strategic choices.
In an interview on Thursday in his office, Schumer said that criticism is a common part of leadership for congressional leaders. “That goes with the territory—it’s true for anyone who’s a leader.” He said his “support in the caucus is deep and strong, because people feel I’ve done a very good job” of setting up Democrats to win back the Senate in November.
Senate Democrats have blocked a last-minute attempt by Republicans to end the Homeland Security shutdown after the GOP dismissed their counteroffer as “unserious.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., called for a vote on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, quickly rejecting the Democrats’ offer earlier Wednesday afternoon.
Fox News reported that He criticized their latest proposal, stating it was “not even close to being real.” He added: “They know better. They’re asking for things that have already been turned down. So it just seems like they’re going in circles.”