Scoop: The race for Senate Democratic whip is essentially over.
Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz has secured commitments from a majority of Democratic senators in his bid to become their next whip, including a crucial new endorsement from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Schatz has locked up support from a “comfortable majority” of the 47-member Senate Democratic Caucus, according to a source familiar with the matter. This puts the 52-year-old Schatz on a glide path to becoming his party’s No. 2 leader in the Senate beginning in 2027.
The news, combined with Schumer’s support, also makes Schatz the favorite to eventually succeed the New York Democrat as the party’s Senate leader. Schumer, 74, is up for reelection in 2028.
In a statement to Punchbowl News, Schumer revealed that he’s been helping Schatz win commitments and public endorsements for his bid:
“Brian Schatz is not just a trusted colleague and a clear communicator — he’s a close friend and one of my most valued allies in the Senate. Over the past several months, Brian and I have worked hand-in-hand to build strong backing across the caucus, and I’m proud to endorse him for whip.”
Schatz, who has long aspired to the post, is the only declared candidate in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Whip Dick Durbin.
While the Democratic leadership elections are still 15 months away, securing the requisite support at this early stage — as well as that of Schumer — will almost certainly discourage any other Democrat from getting in the race.
It’s a reflection of the intense behind-the-scenes work that Schatz has been doing in the months following Durbin’s announcement. Schatz, though, has been laying the groundwork for a leadership run for several years, as we’ve reported.
“I’m grateful for the support from so many of my colleagues,” Schatz told us. “I intend to continue earning their support in the months to come.”
Here’s what Schatz said about securing Schumer’s support, lauding the New York Democrat for passing the Inflation Reduction Act and infrastructure funding:
“I appreciate Leader Schumer’s support and encouragement all along…
“We have more work to do to protect that progress and fight back against the Trump administration. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Leader Schumer and the entire caucus to deliver for the American people.”
More endorsements: A dozen Democratic senators have publicly backed Schatz for the job, including two new rank-and-file endorsers on Tuesday: Sens. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.) and Andy Kim (N.J.).
Kim, a freshman, said in a statement that he “immediately” noticed Schatz’s deep involvement with the caucus’ whip operations. Kim said Schatz “knows the Senate like the back of his hand.”
Duckworth praised Schatz as someone who “helps bring all wings of the Democratic Caucus together.”
A long time coming: Schatz currently serves as chief deputy whip. Senators of both parties see him as an effective communicator for Democrats who can bridge divides between progressives and moderates. Despite being a loyal partisan, Schatz also has close relationships with key Republicans, too.
A few years ago, Schatz hired Reema Dodin, Durbin’s former floor director, as his chief of staff — a move that represented a critical step toward a leadership run.
Some Democrats had wanted Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), currently the No. 3 Senate Democrat, to run for the whip job. But Klobuchar is believed to be considering a 2028 presidential run. Klobuchar said in April that it was a “mistake” to be talking about the whip race this early, arguing that Democrats should be laser-focused on fighting President Donald Trump.
In March, we wrote about how Schatz’s vote in favor of Republicans’ stopgap government funding bill put his leadership ambitions into greater focus. By aligning himself with Schumer — who faced intense criticism over the CR move — Schatz showed his colleagues that he’s willing to take difficult votes in order to shield other Democrats from political backlash.
But the upcoming government-funding fight this fall will likely be even tougher. Schatz is a senior appropriator and has been pushing for a bipartisan spending process while skewering Republicans for pushing a rescissions package. Schatz has also hammered the White House over its attempts to subvert Congress’ power of the purse.
Schatz — a former lieutenant governor, state legislator and chair of the Hawaii Democratic Party — was appointed to the Senate in Dec. 2012 following the death of the legendary Democratic Sen. Daniel Inouye. Schatz won a special election in 2014 to finish out Inouye’s term, and then he easily won reelection in 2016 and 2022.
Schatz has built a strong fundraising operation. Since the 2022 cycle, Schatz has raised more than $5 million just on X alone.
Schatz’s campaign committee, which has nearly $2 million on hand as of June 30, gave $450,000 to the DSCC late last cycle. His leadership PAC, Hawaii PAC, donated $50,000 to the DSCC this year after giving $80,000 to the committee last cycle, according to FEC records. Hawaii PAC has donated another $45,000 to Democratic senators this year.
