{"id":2503138,"date":"2025-10-26T07:37:02","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T11:37:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/progressives-create-midterm-issues-for-schumers-establishment-recruits\/"},"modified":"2025-10-26T07:39:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-26T11:39:43","slug":"progressives-create-midterm-issues-for-schumers-establishment-recruits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/progressives-create-midterm-issues-for-schumers-establishment-recruits\/","title":{"rendered":"Progressives create midterm issues for Schumer\u2019s establishment recruits"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fprogressives-create-midterm-issues-for-schumers-establishment-recruits%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2503138&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spotlight-turns-to-trump-nominees-facing-sexual-assault-allegations-washington-examiner-2\/\" title=\"Spotlight turns to Trump nominees facing sexual assault allegations - Washington Examiner\">article discusses challenges<\/a> that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faces as he tries to promote establishment Democratic candidates for the 2026 midterm elections amid rising progressive insurgents within the party. In maine, progressive candidate Graham Platner leads in the Democratic primary despite controversies over offensive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-this-average-american-is-voting-for-donald-trump\/\" title=\"Why This Average American Is Voting for Donald Trump\">social media posts<\/a> adn a Nazi-like tattoo, contrasting with more centrist and establishment-backed candidates like Gov. Janet Mills. Schumer supports the older, more stable candidates, believing they are more electable, but progressive figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders stand by Platner. similar tensions are present in other states such as Texas and Michigan, where progressive and establishment Democrats compete fiercely. The article highlights a broader ideological and generational rift in the Democratic Party, posing strategic difficulties for Schumer&#8217;s efforts to secure a favorable Senate map in 2026. Meanwhile, Republicans also face internal challenges with controversial candidates affecting their campaigns. the piece portrays a divided Democratic party wrestling with balancing grassroots energy and establishment stability ahead of critical elections.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Progressive Democrats create 2026 headaches for Schumer&rsquo;s establishment recruits<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2377740\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Senate Minority Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chuck-schumer\/\">Chuck Schumer<\/a> (D-NY) has successfully recruited <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3850709\/schumer-lands-prized-senate-recruits-key-battlegrounds\/\">prized political heavyweights<\/a> in key battlegrounds, but left-wing insurgents are threatening to dash his plans to create a competitive midterm map for Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>The toss-up Maine Senate race is perhaps ground zero for the ideological, and in some cases generational, clash, with embattled first-time candidate Graham Platner trouncing two-term Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) by 34 points, 58% to 24%, in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/scholars.unh.edu\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?article=1896&amp;context=survey_center_polls\">latest polling<\/a> for the Democratic primary to take on longtime centrist Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3864174\/young-adults-not-confident-2026-election-fairness-poll\/\">Young adults not confident in 2026 election fairness: Poll<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3862892\/platner-rebuilds-campaign-after-setbacks-blames-party-leadership\/\">Platner rebuilds campaign after setbacks he blames on party leadership<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/3856956\/ex-iranian-hostage-crisis-captive-kevin-hermening-eyes-house-seat-bid\/\">Ex-Iranian hostage crisis captive Kevin Hermening eyes House seat bid<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Notably, the lead could be persisting despite a drip, drip of <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >reports highlighting offensive online posts<\/a> by Platner referencing black people and sexual assault survivors, but the latest was taken before it was discovered he had a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, which he&rsquo;s since covered with another tattoo.<\/p>\n<p>In Texas, liberal firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) is &ldquo;strongly&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3860024\/jasmine-crockett-floats-bid-texas-senate-race\/\">weighing a Senate bid<\/a> in the wake of state redistricting. Elsewhere, crowded Democratic primaries, including in Michigan, are likely to hemorrhage critical resources the party will need for general elections to protect incumbent seats or oust Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>Schumer&rsquo;s preferred recruits like Mills in Maine, former Gov. Roy Cooper in North Carolina, and former Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio are far older but are &ldquo;more stable&rdquo; and electable than grassroots progressives like Platner, despite their ability to energize the base, said Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf.<\/p>\n<p>But Sheinkopf, the former adviser to former President Bill Clinton and ex-New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, cautioned Schumer and his allies not to make what he said would be a critical misstep: criticize the younger, more liberal outside challengers.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The leadership can&rsquo;t say, &lsquo;They&rsquo;re out of line. They&rsquo;re wacky. They&rsquo;re too far to the left,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The leadership just has to keep doing its job in Washington.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Even before Mills&rsquo;s entry into the race, tensions were rising in the party as Platner <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/grahamformaine\/status\/1971223253567058182\">whacked Schumer<\/a> as &ldquo;wholly incapable&rdquo; of combating President Donald Trump and lumped him into the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/grahamformaine\/status\/1971574689949700594\">same camp<\/a> with Collins as those who can&rsquo;t stop his grassroots momentum. Since Mills&rsquo; campaign launch earlier this month, Platner has <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/grahamformaine\/status\/1978168980687778130\">urged<\/a> Schumer against &ldquo;meddling in a Maine primary&rdquo; and to stay &ldquo;focused on fighting Donald Trump and protecting healthcare for millions of Americans.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>There&rsquo;s limited sympathy among Senate Democrats for Platner&rsquo;s complaints about Schumer, though Platner did have a small fan club among more progressive senators before this month&rsquo;s revelations about his online posts, and influential members such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3858811\/bernie-sanders-stands-embattled-maine-senate-graham-platner\/\">stuck by him<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t have the support of the [Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee], but I knew I could win, and more importantly, that I could win the general election. So that&rsquo;s what I did,&rdquo; Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) said of Senate Democrats&rsquo; campaign arm, which did not initially back his early challenge to then-Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), in part because it came prior to her retirement announcement.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If you can do it, do it. If not, then don&rsquo;t do it. But don&rsquo;t complain,&rdquo; Gallego continued. &ldquo;Everyone&rsquo;s got to work their own way in.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Schumer, who is Jewish, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/4-hostile-regimes-testing-joe-biden-during-his-first-months-in-office\/\" title=\"4 Hostile Regimes Testing Joe Biden During His First Months In Office\">recently told reporters<\/a> he&rsquo;ll &ldquo;let the people of Maine decide&rdquo; if Platner&rsquo;s controversies, including the Nazi tattoo, should be politically disqualifying.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We think that Janet Mills is the best candidate to retire Susan Collins,&rdquo; he said of leadership&rsquo;s position, while the Senate campaign arm has already taken steps to financially bolster Mills. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s a tested two-term governor, and the people of Maine have an enormous amount of affection and respect for her.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) leaves a meeting with reporters on the eighth day of the government shutdown on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (Graeme Jennings\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sanders, a democratic-socialist who rose to national prominence as an outsider to the Democratic establishment, downplayed Platner&rsquo;s social media posts as the result of a once-struggling overseas combat veteran and deflected on the Nazi tattoo by, in part, railing against a &ldquo;corrupt campaign finance system&rdquo; and referencing cuts to government healthcare programs under Trump&rsquo;s &ldquo;big, beautiful&rdquo; tax law.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What bothers me is we don&rsquo;t have enough candidates in this country who are prepared to take on the powers to be and fight for the working class,&rdquo; Sanders recently told reporters.<\/p>\n<p>There are headaches elsewhere for Senate Democrats, including a Michigan fight to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI).<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), backed by the Michigan state party to succeed Peters in a three-way contest against Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed, attended a recent DSCC Napa Valley fundraising retreat, per <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook\/2025\/09\/27\/down-ballot-republicans-move-on-from-epstein-00583379\">Politico<\/a><\/em>. McMorrow recently met with DSCC Vice Chair Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), per <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lwO6cEnV7t\">Axios<\/a><\/em>. The meetings offer the latest signs that Senate Democrats are still weighing how heavily to put their thumbs on the scale for a particular candidate.<\/p>\n<p>For Republicans, Attorney General Ken Paxton is running an insurgent campaign against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), creating a mirror image problem for GOP leadership as they fear his own political scandals will hurt the party next November.<\/p>\n<p>Cornyn has pulled even with Paxton in polling, following months of aligned outside groups spending heavily to hammer Paxton over personal and professional scandals that have included allegations of an extramarital affair, corruption, and bribery.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Democrats are fielding scandals or fear of lost momentum in off-year races in Virginia and New Jersey. Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for attorney general in Virginia, is embroiled in a controversy over texts in which he detailed the fantasy of shooting a state Republican lawmaker in the head, prompting his lead over Republican nominee Jason Miyares, the current attorney general, to shrink.<\/p>\n<p>In the New Jersey governor&rsquo;s race, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) maintains a lead over Republican rival Jack Ciattarelli, but the contest remains competitive in a state where Republican gains in recent cycles have set off alarm bells for Democrats.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3850709\/schumer-lands-prized-senate-recruits-key-battlegrounds\/\">SCHUMER LANDS HIS PRIZED SENATE RECRUITS IN BATTLEGROUNDS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), a progressive member of Senate leadership, said his energy is better spent on the government shutdown than on offering election analysis. However, he told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> he&rsquo;s set to campaign with Sherrill in New Jersey next weekend.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;She&rsquo;s a great candidate. I think she&rsquo;s going to win,&rdquo; Murphy said. &ldquo;But she needs all the help that she can get.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Progressive Democrats challenge Schumer&#8217;s 2026 plans<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2503140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WEX_SCHUMER-17-e1759943409662.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[58426,34250,65914,11763,4411],"class_list":["post-2503138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-establishment-2","tag-midterm-elections","tag-political-recruits","tag-progressives","tag-schumer"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WEX_SCHUMER-17-e1759943409662.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2503138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2503138"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2503138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2503142,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2503138\/revisions\/2503142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2503140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2503138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2503138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2503138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}