Right now, Democrats are taking a victory lap, but they still have to show that they understood what this election called for. Voters hired them to do a job. Now they have to deliver.
That starts with who they choose to lead them and the direction those leaders set. Those choices should reflect what voters demanded: leadership willing to listen, stand up for them, and turn their concerns into action.
People know what groceries cost. They know what they pay to fill their cars and what remains after housing, childcare, and healthcare. A politician’s reassurance cannot make those bills disappear.
The frustration was visible long before Election Day. In March 2025, Senator Roger Marshall ended a contentious Kansas town hall early after constituents challenged him about the Trump administration’s actions. House Republican campaign leadership also encouraged members to favor virtual events over in-person town halls as constituents confronted them about federal cuts. 12
Representation requires listening when the questions become uncomfortable. Asking for someone’s vote carries an obligation to answer to that person afterward.
People are not stupid. You cannot piss on people and tell them it’s raining.
The election gave Democrats responsibility. It did not erase the public’s doubts about them. The AP Voter Poll found that roughly two in ten people who supported Democratic candidates still viewed the party negatively. Approximately seven in ten voters said Congress was not doing enough to check presidential power. 3
Those voters deserve leaders who will confront corruption, defend their interests, and explain what they are doing.
Democrats need to apply that expectation to their own leadership.
If voters demanded a new direction, why should Senate Democrats automatically return Chuck Schumer to the same leadership position?
Schumer has accomplishments. Under President Biden, Senate Democrats helped pass infrastructure legislation, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. Those achievements belong in an honest assessment of his record. 4
Those accomplishments do not entitle him to remain leader. The next two years require a different approach.
Harry Reid understood the value of establishing an objective and holding his caucus to it. During the 2013 shutdown confrontation, Reid—then majority leader under President Obama—resisted Republican efforts to attach Affordable Care Act changes to government funding. The agreement reopened the government without defunding or delaying the Affordable Care Act. 56
That is the standard behind this comparison: organize the votes, explain the stakes, and use the available power to achieve an outcome.
As minority leader in March 2025, Schumer initially indicated Democrats would block the Republican funding measure, then helped it clear the procedural hurdle. He called the bill bad but argued that a shutdown would give Trump and Musk greater opportunities to damage government services. He subsequently voted against final passage. 7
Americans deserve to examine that judgment when asked to trust his bargaining strategy again.
A Senate leader must anticipate the opposition’s moves, prepare a response, and explain what the fight means for people’s lives. Reacting to the next headline is insufficient.
The demand for a different approach is already inside the caucus. On November 10, Bernie Sanders announced that he would not support another Schumer term, arguing that the election called for a new and bold direction. 8
That discussion deserves a genuine contest. Candidates should explain how they would govern, communicate, defend public services, and develop the party’s next generation of leaders.
Nancy Pelosi provided an example of changing roles without ending her service. On November 17, 2022, she announced that she would not seek another term leading House Democrats while remaining in Congress. She explicitly made room for a new generation of leadership. 9
Her experience remained available after someone else took the reins. Schumer has that option, too.
Our position is that he should step aside and put his experience behind a successor.
He could help count votes, navigate Senate procedure, and support the people carrying the fight forward. Preparing someone else to succeed would itself be an act of leadership.
Democrats have earned another opportunity to govern. Their choice of leadership will help demonstrate whether they understood the demand for change.
Chuck, help prepare the next leader. Let someone else take the reins.
The Sunday Dinner Question
What would the next Senate Democratic leader have to do differently to earn your confidence?
Sources & References (19)
Sources & References — separate Publisher Studio field
1. Kansas News Service / High Plains Public Radio, published by KCUR — Calen Moore. “Kansas senator’s rural town hall meeting swamped by people mad at Trump administration.” March 1, 2025.
- Supports: Reporting on Roger Marshall’s early departure from the Oakley, Kansas, town hall after contentious exchanges.
2. ABC News — Lauren Peller, Lalee Ibssa, Benjamin Siegel, and Isabella Murray. “GOP reps encouraged to do town halls virtually rather than in-person after fiery meetings with constituents.” March 4, 2025.
- Supports: NRCC chair Richard Hudson’s advice to favor virtual events; not a claim that every Republican stopped holding town halls.
3. The Associated Press. “How Trump and Republicans lost the 2026 midterm elections, according to The AP Voter Poll.” November 2026.
- Supports: Voter attitudes toward Democrats and demand for congressional checks on presidential power. These figures do not directly measure preferences for the next Senate leader.
4. Senate Democratic Caucus. “Majority Leader Schumer Remarks on the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act at the Business Roundtable Quarterly Meeting.” September 15, 2022.
- Supports: Primary-source record of the laws passed during Schumer’s majority leadership under Biden. The editorial does not adopt the release’s promotional judgments.
5. Reuters, republished by Business Standard. “U.S. government shutdown starts; Congress deadlock remains.” October 1, 2013.
- Supports: Reid’s resistance to funding conditions that would delay or weaken the Affordable Care Act.
6. Reuters, republished by Business Standard. “U.S. Congress ends default threat, Obama vows to sign bill.” October 17, 2013.
- Supports: The shutdown-ending agreement followed Republicans dropping their effort to tie funding to ACA changes.
7. ABC News — Mariam Khan, Allison Pecorin, and Lauren Peller. “With Democrats’ help, Senate votes to avert a government shutdown.” March 14, 2025.
- Supports: Schumer’s reversal, support for advancing the measure, stated shutdown concerns, and opposition to final passage.
8. Roll Call — Savannah Behrmann. “Rift grows among Senate Democrats over who will lead in majority.” November 10, 2026.
- Supports: Sanders’ announcement opposing another Schumer term and the ongoing leadership debate.
9. ABC News — Rachel Scott, Katherine Faulders, Lauren Peller, Isabella Murray, and Alexandra Hutzler. “Pelosi stepping down from House Democratic leadership.” November 17, 2022.
- Supports: Pelosi’s decision not to seek another leadership term while remaining a member of Congress.
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