Senate Democratic leadership elections for the next Congress are at least 19 months away. But these contests are few and far between. So it’s imperative to be ready and strike fast.
That’s Sen. Brian Schatz’s (D-Hawaii) strategy as he hopes to succeed Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) as Senate Democratic whip — and ultimately become his party’s leader in the chamber.
“I wouldn’t be a good whip if I didn’t get started as soon as the opening occurred,” Schatz told us when asked why he jumped in so soon after Durbin announced he wouldn’t seek reelection.
So far, Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.) and Martin Heinrich (N.M.) are the only Democratic senators publicly backing Schatz. But that will change in the coming days and weeks.
Schatz said that he’s simply “initiating conversations.” But in reality, the Hawaii Democrat has been laying the groundwork for this effort for years. Schatz’s leadership aspirations were far from a secret. And several Democrats told us last night that they believe Schatz would be great for the job, even if they’re not ready to formally endorse him.
Yet while Schatz’s aggressive play is cementing his status as the frontrunner, at least one potential rival is irked by the strategy.
Keeping the powder dry: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said Democrats need to be laser-focused on President Donald Trump, not an internal matter that’s way down the line.
“I truly believe that talking about something a year and a half from now — and we have no idea who’s gonna win the Senate, who’s going to get this — it’s a mistake,” Klobuchar told reporters.
For his part, Schatz said he doesn’t “begrudge” Democrats who want to prioritize other issues, while acknowledging that the whip race “shouldn’t crack the top 20 of things that Democrats have to deal with.”
“I certainly believe it is within every senator’s right to take their time,” Schatz said.
That’s exactly what the nearly dozen Democratic senators we spoke with Monday night said about the whip race. For some, declaring that they want to wait until the field is set was just a way to avoid answering the question directly.
But as Schatz gains endorsements, there will be additional pressure on Klobuchar and anyone else who might want to jump in the race.
