Senator Chris Van Hollen has announced his candidacy for the position of Democratic leader in the US Senate, challenging the current leader of the group, Chuck Schumer, writes in the New York Times. In order to participate in the party's internal elections scheduled for December 1, Van Hollen officially abandoned participation in the 2028 presidential race. The main disagreement between the candidates was the financing of the war in Iran: Van Hollen demands to block the allocation of funds for the military operation, even if this leads to a suspension of the US government after the current budget expires on December 11.