Senate Democrat Calls for ‘New Leadership’ Amid Growing Pressure on Schumer

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey has called for “new leadership” in the Democratic Party amid growing pressure on Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to step down from his position following a contentious government shutdown deal.

Speaking one-on-one with Fox News Digital during a visit to New Hampshire, Booker emphasized the need for younger generations of Democrats to take more prominent roles in guiding the party forward.

“Chuck Schumer’s generation, Nancy Pelosi’s generation, John Lewis’s generation. They have so much to be proud of. It is time, though, for new leadership,” Booker stated. “The other generations, X, millennials, Z — it’s time for us to step up. The stage is waiting for us to lead, not just the party, but the nation right now.”

Booker’s comments come amid significant internal party strife following the recent federal government shutdown. Eight Senate Democrats, including independent Senator Angus King of Maine who caucuses with the party, broke ranks with leadership to support a Republican-backed deal to end what had become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

The agreement has drawn fierce criticism from progressive and center-left Democrats because it failed to include provisions to extend expiring subsidies for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance coverage—a top party priority. These subsidies make healthcare more affordable for millions of Americans.

While Booker opposed the deal, he declined to directly criticize the Democratic senators who supported it, including New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan. Instead, he called for unity moving forward.

“I played football, and that play is behind me. Now I want everybody back in the huddle, tighten your chin straps, because we’ve got to fight forward,” Booker said, drawing on his experience as a former Stanford University Division One football player. “The end zone, for me, is very simple. It is lowering people’s healthcare costs, lowering people’s grocery costs, lowering people’s energy costs, and getting an America that works for everybody, not just the wealthiest of the wealthy.”

Senator Shaheen defended her decision to support the shutdown-ending agreement earlier this week on “Fox and Friends,” emphasizing the importance of restoring government services. “We’re making sure that the people of America can get the food benefits that they need, that air traffic controllers can get paid, that federal workers are able to come back,” she explained.

Though multiple House Democrats have called for Schumer to step down due to his inability to keep Senate Democrats unified, no Senate Democrat has publicly joined these demands. Booker’s comments about generational change, while not explicitly endorsing Schumer’s removal, represent some of the strongest public statements from a sitting Democratic senator suggesting the need for leadership changes.

Booker, who gained attention earlier this year for a record-breaking 25-hour Senate speech criticizing President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda, also expressed concern about partisan divisions. “The partisanship, as you know, bothers me, because it’s turned to tribalism,” he said, adding, “I’m a big believer, if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

The New Jersey senator’s visit to New Hampshire, which has historically held the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, has fueled speculation about his potential presidential ambitions for 2028. During his trip, Booker headlined a “Stand Up New Hampshire Town Hall” speaking series organized by prominent state Democratic officials and delivered the keynote address at a major fundraising gala for the New Hampshire Democratic Party.

When asked about his presidential aspirations, Booker acknowledged considering it while emphasizing his immediate focus. “Of course, I’m thinking about it. Haven’t ruled it out. But I’m up on the ballot in New Jersey in ’26 and that is my focus,” he said.

Booker, who unsuccessfully sought the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, stressed the importance of the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, when Democrats will attempt to regain majorities in both chambers of Congress.

“Don’t talk to me about ’28 until you show me where you stand and who you stand for in ’26,” Booker insisted. “I stand for New Jersey. I stand for America and an America that works for everybody.”