Chuck Schumer’s challenger for party control underscores Democrats’ ideological rift

Senator Chris Van Hollen’s policy credentials allowed his quick rise to roles usually reserved for the more tenured

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US senator Chris Van Hollen’s challenge to Chuck Schumer’s leadership of Senate Democrats presents an ideological and biographical contrast to the party as it takes control of Congress in two months.

Though only about eight years younger than Schumer, Van Hollen is seen as a more progressive senator who has drawn attention for his opposition to the Trump administration’s abusive immigration practices – visiting his constituent Kilmar Ábrego García after an unlawful deportation to El Salvador – as well as opposition to federal corruption and US support for the Israeli government’s war in Gaza.