Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., talks to reporters on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, after she was elected as chair of Senate Democrats' Steering and Policy Committee, the No. 3 leadership post. (Photo by Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats in closed-door elections Tuesday selected leaders for their caucus, and elevated Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar to the No. 3 spot and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker to No. 4.

Klobuchar will replace retiring Michigan Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow as the chair of the influential Steering and Policy Committee.

“I am someone that believes you need to stand your ground, but also find common ground and look for solutions,” Klobuchar said during a Tuesday press conference. 

Booker joined the leadership ranks in a newly created position as the chair of the Strategic Communications Committee.

“I look forward to serving not just this caucus, but really the larger mission of advancing our country and advancing an agenda that really is focused on Americans,” Booker said.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin was elected again to serve as the party’s whip, the No. 2 Democrat.

Chuck Schumer of New York was unanimously elected as Democrats’ leader, according to a Senate Democratic leadership aide. Schumer has been the Democratic leader since 2017, after the late Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada retired.

“Our caucus has led the way in passing historic legislation that has improved the lives of millions of Americans and we remain laser focused on addressing the most pressing challenges facing our country,” Schumer said in a statement after the elections. 

“We have a lot of work ahead — in the Senate and as a country — and in this upcoming Congress, our caucus will continue to fight for what’s best for America’s working class. Senate Democrats are ready to get to work for you, the American people,” he continued.

Shift in control

The party leadership elections came as Democrats lost their slim majority in the Senate, and Republicans picked up four seats in Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia last month. Republicans will be in the majority, 53-47.

Despite losing control of the upper chamber when the new Congress convenes in January, Schumer said Democrats will aim to work in a bipartisan manner.

“As I have long said, our preference is to secure bipartisan solutions wherever possible and look for ways to collaborate with our Republican colleagues to help working families,” Schumer said. “However, our Republican colleagues should make no mistake about it, we will always stand up for our values.”

‘We defied gravity’

Klobuchar said she will miss her Senate colleagues like Ohio’s Sherrod Brown and Montana’s Jon Tester, both defeated in their reelection bids.

But she said Democrats still won tough races in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin, which she credited to Schumer’s efforts.

“And in many ways when you look at this election,” Klobuchar said, drawing out a purposeful pause before she continued, “we defied gravity.”

She then looked around the room and asked reporters what she was referencing, until one grumbled: “Wicked.”

“That’s right, we defied gravity,” Klobuchar said, proud of her pop culture reference to a song in the newly released movie “Wicked.”

“And that is what we will continue to do in terms of reaching out to these people in our country, to the voters who maybe didn’t hear us as well as they should have, and so that’s one of the reasons I’m so excited to be working with Cory (Booker) on this,” Klobuchar said.

Among other leadership positions, Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Mark Warner of Virginia were elected as co-vice chairs of the conference.

Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin was elected as the Senate Democratic Conference secretary and Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto as the vice chair of Outreach. The chair of Outreach is Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.