Sen. Chris Van Hollen has emerged as a potential challenger to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, as progressives press for new leadership following the party’s major midterm gains.

The 67-year-old Maryland senator has not said whether he will enter the race for majority leader. On Tuesday, Van Hollen said he was “actively listening” to fellow Democrats as he considered a possible leadership role or a 2028 presidential bid.

Schumer said he was confident he had a path to the top job. His allies cite his fundraising and leadership experience and have warned that a challenge could divide the party. Sen. John Fetterman said he would vote for Schumer, crediting him with helping recruit a strong class of candidates.

Still, signs of resistance have emerged. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elissa Slotkin said Tuesday they were not committed to supporting Schumer. Neither named an alternative, though both acknowledged that Van Hollen was under consideration.

Van Hollen’s appeal to the left marks a shift for a politician who rose through the Democratic establishment and chaired the party’s House and Senate campaign committees. Over the past two years, he has become a vocal critic of party leaders and U.S. policy toward Israel, joining early Democratic efforts to restrict arms sales to the country.

On Tuesday, Van Hollen accused Schumer and the Senate Democratic campaign arm of siding with the cryptocurrency industry and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee against progressive candidates. Newly elected Sen. Peggy Flanagan, who has said she will not back Schumer, praised Van Hollen’s leadership.

Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, scrutiny of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is reshaping the debate over chip exports to China. Lawmakers, aides and lobbyists say revelations of Huang’s affair with an alleged Chinese spy have increased the likelihood that Congress will include export restrictions in the annual defense bill. Speaker Mike Johnson said he supported such controls, echoing Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. Sen. Kevin Cramer called on Huang to resign.

Rep. Richard Neal, meanwhile, is preparing to lead the House Ways and Means Committee in January. Unopposed in his bid for the chairmanship, Neal said Democrats’ sweeping victory had influenced his plans and that he wanted new committee members to represent regions previously “shut out.”