Rank-and-file Senate Democrats start fight over Schumer’s midterm election strategy

A coalition of Democratic senators dubbed “the Fight Club” is challenging Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer’s midterm election strategy.

They argue Mr. Schumer and the party’s campaign arm chair, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, have favored candidates aligned with the establishment.

The group — including Maryland’s Chris Van Hollen, Minnesota’s Tina Smith, Connecticut’s Chris Murphy, Vermont’s Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts’ Elizabeth Warren — argues that the party should welcome candidates willing to challenge corporate interests, fiercely oppose the Trump administration and resist Democratic conformity, The New York Times first reported.

The dispute reportedly occurred in an October private meeting with Mr. Schumer and Ms. Gillibrand, when the Fight Club senators pointed to concerns about the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s electoral strategy.

This reflects overarching concerns that Democratic party leaders do not have a winning game plan to return to power.

Mr. Schumer faced criticism over his failure to keep Democrats united against ending the record-long government shutdown, as well as his refusal to endorse socialist Democrat Zohran Mamdani, who ultimately was elected the next mayor of New York.

“Our North Star is winning the Senate majority in 2026 and any decision is made to achieve that goal,” a spokesperson for Mr. Schumer said in a statement.

The Fight Club is focused on contested primaries for open seats in Minnesota, Michigan and Maine, but the Democratic committee has not made any formal endorsements. They are also closely watching Texas’ and Iowa’s primary races.

The group believes DSCC is leaning toward the establishment-aligned candidates: Rep. Angie Craig in Minnesota, Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan and Gov. Janet Mills in Maine.

Mr. Sanders, a democratic socialist who caucuses with Senate Democrats, endorsed Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan out of three prominent candidates.

When Mr. Schumer recruited Ms. Mills in Maine, Mr. Sanders took to social media to call the decision to tap Ms. Mills “disappointing.”

The senators are apparently discussing the possibility of joint fund-raising efforts, lending donor lists on behalf of candidates, offering endorsements and appearing at campaigns. Recently, The Fight Club posted a video endorsing Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota, who is facing off against Ms. Craig in the state’s Senate Democratic primary. 

They do not plan to target incumbents or former Senator Sherrod Brown in Ohio and former Gov. Roy Cooper in North Carolina, both of whom face no serious primary opposition.

Mr. Markey, Ms. Warren and Mr. Murphy had previously benefited from the DSCC’s support during their primary races.

Some of the Fight Club reportedly believe the best way for Democrats to win races is for the committee to stay out of primaries, believing that raising concerns together will give them a leg up on stopping or limiting such involvement.