Schumer's path to the majority runs through his Democratic critics

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's path to a Democratic majority next year runs through people who may not want to follow him once he gets there. Per Axios, Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive, won a Michigan Democratic primary with forty-eight point five percent of the vote against Representative Haley Stevens, Schumer's preferred choice. El-Sayed campaigned against corporate interests and AIPAC, yet Schumer endorsed him anyway—a necessary move to secure a seat the party needs. The same dynamic is unfolding elsewhere: progressive candidates are winning primaries Schumer didn't back, and some have refused to commit to supporting him as Democratic leader. The twist: Schumer may have an advantage over his Republican counterpart. While both will eventually oversee freshman senators loyal to movements beyond their orbit, unlike Thune, Schumer faces no public challenge to his leadership.

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