Chris Van Hollen Weighs 2028 Presidential Run, Rules Out Senate Majority Leader Bid

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen is mapping two different futures at once: a possible 2028 presidential campaign and a louder voice over how Senate Democrats use their new majority — without seeking the top leadership job himself.

In a Thursday interview with FOX45 News (WBFF), Van Hollen said he expects to decide “certainly by early next year” whether to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 or seek reelection to his Senate seat. “This is not a leisurely process,” he said. He confirmed he will attend next week’s What’s Next summit in Denver, an event expected to draw other Democrats whose names are circulating for 2028.

Separately, a source close to Van Hollen told NewsNation — The Hill’s partner network — that the senator is not planning to challenge Sen. Chuck Schumer for Senate majority leader. The Hill published that report on Nov. 5.

Majority leader: no personal bid, no blank check

Van Hollen’s stance on leadership is careful. He is not running for the job, according to The Hill’s sourcing. But he has also argued Democrats should not lock in a leader before agreeing on what the new majority will do.

Common Dreams, citing a Bloomberg interview, quoted him saying working people have been “screwed for way too long” and that it is “not a time for incrementalism” but a moment for a “very bold kitchen table agenda.” He said “no one should be committing to anybody as the next Democratic leader” without first talking through that agenda. “We need commitments,” he told Bloomberg.

In the FOX45 interview, he struck the same note: before picking a Senate leader, the caucus needs “an open and honest discussion” about how to move forward. He named ending the war in Iran and tackling the cost of living as priorities that should shape those talks. Asked whether Democrats need new leadership, he avoided a direct verdict on Schumer and said whoever leads must “use our power responsibly but also boldly.”

Schumer, for his part, told reporters he expects to be reelected as majority leader, Common Dreams reported. Several newly elected Democratic senators have declined to endorse him or called for a leadership change, raising the stakes of Van Hollen’s “agenda first” message even though he is not a candidate for the post. Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed told CNN he would vote for Van Hollen over Schumer, The Hill noted — a hypothetical Van Hollen has not embraced as a campaign for the job.

The 2028 clock

Van Hollen’s Senate term runs through January 2029, so a presidential bid would force an early choice. FOX45 reported he has already traveled widely, spoken with veterans of Barack Obama’s campaigns and plans more outreach in Maryland and nationally. He praised Gov. Wes Moore, who won reelection Tuesday and is also mentioned in 2028 speculation, without saying whether the two have coordinated on a presidential path.

On substance, Van Hollen told FOX45 the old “progressive” vs. “moderate” labels feel outdated and that the country is in a “populist moment.” He again floated eliminating federal income taxes for some lower-income workers, paid for with a surtax on people earning more than $1 million; a wealth tax on billionaires; and Medicare for All. He argued Democrats should pass economic bills even if President Donald Trump might veto them, and said oversight hearings can run alongside cost-of-living work.

Why this matters now

Democrats just took the House and Senate, setting up divided government for the final two years of Trump’s term. That gives Van Hollen a national platform either as a Senate power broker pressing the caucus on agenda and leadership process, or as an early 2028 contender testing a populist economic message. His Nov. 5 comments close one door — majority leader — while keeping the White House door ajar until early 2027.

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