Chuck Schumer Elected Senate Minority Leader

WASHINGTON, DC — New York Sen. Chuck Schumer was named Senate minority leader for the Democratic Party Wednesday.

"I am humbled," Schumer said during a Wednesday morning press conference. "Truly humbled, and honored to receive the support of my colleagues to be the next leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus."

Schumer will take over the job once manned by Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, who is retiring after nearly 30 years in the Senate. Schumer described Reid as his "foxhole buddy" and said that Reid was like an older brother to him.

"I speak for the entire caucus when I say we're grateful for his leadership, his service, his friendship," Schumer said Wednesday.

With his appointment as minority leader, Schumer will be tasked with leading Senate Democrats during a time when the Republican Party has assumed a strong hold on Washington. In this year's election Republicans held their majorities in the Senate and Congress, and Republican nominee Donald Trump was elected president.

With Trump's win, the Republicans could soon take control of the Supreme Court as well. The nation's highest court has one vacancy, and two members of the court, left-leaning Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy, are at least 80 years old.

Schumer acknowledged that he and other Senate Democrats have an uphill battle to fight.

"Last Tuesday night was something none of us expected. I suspect that's true for many of you in the press as well," Schumer said Wednesday. "It certainly didn't go the way we Democrats hope. It was a tough night, no doubt about it. When you lose an election like this you can't flinch, you can't ignore it, you need to look it right in the eye and ask 'why?' Analyze and learn from it."

Joining Schumer in leadership positions will be Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Patty Murray of Washington, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Mark Warner of Virginia, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.

Schumer was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1950 and grew up in Sheepshead Bay, according to his biography page. At the age of 29 Schumer won his first political office when he was elected to represent New York's 9th Congressional District, which spans areas in Brooklyn and Queens. Schumer was elected to the Senate in 1998 and has visited New York's 62 counties every year since he became a senator.

Here's a video of Schumer's full remarks from Wednesday:

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Photo: Senate Democrats via Flickr/Creative Commons