( CNN ) Sen. Harry 's Reid 's perfunctory announcement on Friday that he wo n't seek re-election next year -- leaving a vacancy for leadership of the Senate Democrats -- was followed , hours later , by a matter-of-fact statement in an interview with The Washington Post : `` I think Schumer should be able to succeed me . '' That would usher in a whirlwind of activity on Capitol Hill in the next year as New York 's senior senator prepares to seize the reins of power -- and retool the party as a center-left powerhouse that can win and hold a majority in 2016 and beyond . Left-leaning activists have begun scrambling to block Chuck Schumer 's rise . The progressive organization Democracy for America is calling for Sen. Elizabeth Warren to seek the leadership post , and the left-leaning Daily Kos website is circulating a poll seeking other challengers and denouncing Schumer as too close to the `` Wall Street wing '' of the Democratic Party . With more than a year to go before Senate Democrats will choose a new leader , anything can happen . But after watching Schumer in action for more than 20 years , I 'd be surprised if he gets outsmarted in a political moment he has literally been working for a generation to create . With more than $ 13.4 million on hand in his campaign coffers , Schumer has more money than all but one member of the Senate -- and is the only Democrat in the top 10 in that category . He ran the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee when it took the majority in 2006 -- and while Democrats lost the majority during his second stint in the job in 2012 , the field looks far more promising for them in 2016 : Republicans must defend 24 seats , while Democrats need to protect only 10 . Schumer brings an extraordinary level of personal political skill to the leadership fight . Even among the 100-member Senate -- home to a great many ambitious politicians with big egos -- Schumer has long operated at a high-octane level of smarts and media-savvy brashness that impress and occasionally startle his colleagues . Republican Bob Dole , a longtime lion of the Senate , once quipped that the most dangerous place to be in the Capitol is between Schumer and a television camera . The joke stuck -- but behind the gag is a sign of grudging respect for a man who excels at the basic block-and-tackle necessities of political life . Schumer is attuned to television and radio ( growing up in the world 's media capital will do that ) . In fact , he popularized a practice of holding press conferences on Sunday , a slow news day guaranteed to draw reporters -- and ensure him prominent placement in the Monday newspapers . But he is also a consummate street politician : At 64 , he maintains a habit of biking around New York City neighborhoods without fanfare or an entourage , quietly noting local problems and occasionally inviting himself into a block party or parade . When a reporter once casually asked him to name all 62 counties of New York state , Schumer did her one better , and hand-sketched a map of the state with all the counties filled in . ( He visits every county in the state every year . ) Schumer is n't the only politically ambitious kid from Brooklyn -- before attending Harvard , he graduated from a public school , James Madison High , whose alumni include Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , Sen. Bernie Sanders and ex-Sen . Norm Coleman of Minnesota ( a childhood pal of Schumer 's ) . But Schumer 's political climb been a long-term work in progress . He emerged on the national stage as a prime sponsor of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 , a law that banned assault weapons ; in the run-up to the final vote , New Yorkers practically could n't turn on television without seeing Schumer , then a congressman , on the floor of the House , waving a rifle over his head as he argued for the ban . The higher profile served him well a few years later , when Schumer took on -- and defeated -- three-term incumbent Sen. Alfonse D'Amato . As a senator on the rise , Schumer attracted politically ambitious staffers who moved on to high-profile positions where they can help their former mentor . A very partial list of those includes Howard Wolfson , Phil Singer and Blake Zeff , who went on to help run Hillary Clinton 's 2008 campaign ; Ben Lawsky , who is now shaking up the world of finance as New York 's top banking regulator ; Preet Bharara , who has become an anti-corruption powerhouse as a U.S. attorney ; and Rodney Capel , who is executive director of the state 's Democratic Party . With allies , money and the blessing of Reid , Schumer is in a prime position to implement the ideas contained in his important and overlooked 2007 book , `` Positively American , '' which lays out a vision for how Democrats should lead America . Like Schumer himself , the book is savvy , hopeful and politically attuned to the desires of middle-class voters . Those who wonder what a Schumer Senate leadership would look like should take a look as Democrats prepare for what could well be the start of the Schumer era on Capitol Hill .
Harry Reid wants Chuck Schumer to succeed him as Senate minority leader . The Nevada Democrat is expected to announce his decision on Tuesday after a closed-door meeting with the Democratic caucus. Louis says Schumer is tuned into middle-class voters , could create new Democratic era .