Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the No. 4 Democrat in the chamber, intends to support Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to succeed retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), an aide said.
“Senator Murray spoke to Senator Schumer several times over the past few days and told him that she planned to support him for leader next Congress and looks forward to continuing to be his partner in Senate Democratic leadership,” said the Murray aide, who was not authorized to discuss the matter on the record.
Murray’s backing means that Schumer, currently the No. 3 Democrat, has locked up the support of every key Senate Democratic leader for the top perch. Reid and Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, revealed their intentions to support Schumer within hours of the Nevadan’s announcement.
Murray has taken on critical roles for the party in recent years, including serving as Senate Budget Committee chair and leading the conference’s electoral arm in the 2012 cycle. She’s privately discussed as someone who could lead the party in the future.
Schumer’s ascension would open up his third-ranking position, and although the Murray aide would not comment on her ambitions she would be the likely favorite for the job.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated when Murray was at the helm of the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm. It was during the 2012 cycle, but not also during the 2010 cycle. We regret the error.