Chuck Schumer has a 2028 problem that's not even in New York

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is going to have his hands full next Congress, even without a threat to his leadership or a primary challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). Why it matters: Schumer (D-N.Y.) will have to grapple with the presidential ambitions of up to eight of his senators who may care more about winning the White House than following their leader. Roughly one in six Democratic senators eyeing the campaign trail would add a degree of difficulty to a job that rarely lacks challenges, as former President Obama acknowledged this week. "Being the head of the Democratic Party is a pain in the butt, because you've got people from every walk of life," Obama said of Schumer at a fundraiser Wednesday. Flashback: This year's ICE funding fights gave Schumer a taste of how presidential ambitions can complicate governing. Potential 2028 contenders competed to take the toughest stance against ICE funding, even at the risk of a government shutdown. Zoom in: The tension between individual ambition and party unity could surface early in Schumer's tenure if he becomes majority leader. Democrats are promising to lower costs and govern responsibly, while insisting they'll challenge and investigate the Trump administration at every turn. Schumer and President Trump have a long, complicated relationship — and each other's cell numbers. Between the lines: Democrats could control majorities in both chambers, giving them immense power against Trump. But majority power is dependent on members being present and unified. Presidential contenders have incentives to spend time outside Washington and show how they differ from their fellow 2028 hopefuls in the Senate. They also may want to pick high-profile fights with the party establishment to prove their progressive bona fides. But Schumer faced a similar challenge during the 2020 presidential cycle, when he was minority leader and seven sitting senators sought the Democratic nomination. Attendance was the biggest headache as candidates crisscrossed the country, complicating Senate scheduling. But Democrats didn't lose any major votes despite their presidential hopefuls being on the campaign trail. Who we're watching: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) has visited South Carolina, New Hampshire and Nevada (twice). Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.): South Carolina, Nevada, New Hampshire and Iowa. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.): South Carolina (twice), Nevada and Michigan. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.): South Carolina. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.): Iowa and Nevada. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.): Iowa and New Hampshire (twice). Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.): Nevada (twice) and New Hampshire. Honorable mention: Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) is focused on winning reelection, so he has no documented early-primary-state visits yet. That hasn't stopped presidential rumors from swirling. Zoom out: First, Schumer needs to get to at least 51 seats in November, navigate a high-stakes lame-duck session, and then win a secret-ballot election to reclaim his title as majority leader. Some of his potential new members — especially if Democrats have a good night on Nov. 3 — aren't overly enthusiastic about supporting him. Candidates like Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and James Talarico in Texas have not committed to voting for him. The bottom line: Presidential candidates want to stand out. Senate majority leaders need their members to blend in — and fall in line.

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