DES MOINES, Iowa — From a small stage in Polk County, Iowa, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen delivered a performance review to Democratic minority leaders in Washington.

They needed to drop the “spineless politics” wearying voters and go hard for candidates in key races across the country.

“It’s time to decide who we are,” he said.

Democrats have strayed from their roots, he said. They are the party that fights for workers, Social Security and Medicare and for the dignity of every individual. They’ve gotten it wrong on the Israel-Hamas conflict. And they’ve too often listened to polls over acting on their principles.

Without naming names, he called out House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for not endorsing New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist campaigning on quality of life and affordability issues.

“They need to get behind him and get behind him now,” he said. “Winning in 2025 will create momentum going into 2026.”

Maryland’s senior senator headlined the Polk County Democrats’ annual steak fry Saturday, a venue known for launching ambitious politicians into a national spotlight. Van Hollen — not known as a rabble rouser — used the opportunity to rock the boat.

His sweeping 30-minute speech drew approval and applause from the mostly white, older crowd as he railed against the policies of President Donald Trump and the complicity of congressional Republicans.

Political analyst Kyle Kondik said it’s “significant” that a “a fairly prominent senator is criticizing his own party’s leadership” against the backdrop of intra-party strife and since their cataclysmic losses in 2024. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has since endorsed Mamdani, amplifying Schumer’s and Jeffries’ silence, said Kondik, who works at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

Van Hollen’s message caught the leaders’ attention. Schumer and Jeffries told The New York Times they were working toward their decisions. A Jeffries spokesperson added a zinger: “Confused New Yorkers are asking themselves the question: Chris Van Who?”

Van Hollen has been out front among Senate Democrats in opposition to Trump’s agenda on issues some Democrats have considered too hot to touch. Van Hollen was the first lawmaker to counter the wrongful deportation of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia. And he’s taken a clear stance against Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s halting humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Polk County Democrats Chair Bill Brauch called Van Hollen “a leader in the resistance” against the Trump administration.

“As many have said, his courage was contagious,” he said.

Iowa voter Jay Villwock said he was surprised Van Hollen called out Democratic leaders but liked that he did. Democrats need to get tough and stop “playing nice,” he said.

The 79-year-old retiree said he “thought it was good that he was able to take on even his own party when he thought they weren’t doing the right thing.”

Event volunteer Owyn Bucklin served Van Hollen some steak in the dining tent and said they spoke a bit about young people and the cynicism some feel about politics. The 17-year-old’s grandparents have been bringing him to the steak fry for years, and he suspected he may be one of a few Iowa teens familiar with Maryland’s senior senator’s politics.

He said he agreed with Van Hollen that Democrats need to act rather than putting a “finger to the wind” and need to decide what they stand for.

Stepping up as senior senator

The Democrat anchored a long line of political speeches from state and federal candidates looking to flip Iowa’s red seats in 2026. Headlining the event, considered a national platform, is notable, political experts say. Iowa has long had a reputation as a presidential campaign starting line.

Kondik wouldn’t go so far as to guess what Van Hollen’s visit meant. But he said anytime a politician sets foot in early voting states, “It’s natural to think about presidential implications.”

Up until a counting snafu in 2020 lost the Democrats their first-place spot, the Iowa caucuses served as the country’s starting line for its presidential primary season.

The tradition of its political proving ground, however, lives on. Recent visits from Pete Buttigieg, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and others, whose names have been floated for 2028, show it’s not too early.

Van Hollen became Maryland’s senior senator in January, following the retirement of U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin.

Since then, he’s been at the forefront protesting government cuts, employee layoffs and challenging the legality of Trump administration actions. He’s also expressed dissatisfaction in Senate leadership after Democrats agreed to a short-term spending bill in March rather than shutting down the federal government.

But it was his April trip to El Salvador to force a visit with Abrego Garcia that drew international attention. Some attendees at the steak fry didn’t recognize Van Hollen’s name, until connected to Abrego Garcia.

David Karol, a political science professor at the University of Maryland, said that doesn’t matter because the Iowa caucuses are known for turning the unknowns, like Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, into household names.

“I think the fact that he’s going there is an indication that he’s looking at 2028,” he said.

Van Hollen said he accepted the invitation from Polk County Democrats because it was a significant event for them, and he’s primarily focused on helping Democrats win nationally in 2026.

He dashed any conversation of his visit being a ground test for higher office. The trip was about rallying Democrats and being part of the conversation on where the party goes next, he said.

“This is me signaling that I think we all need to step up in a big way right now to protect our Constitution, to protect our democracy,” he said.

Iowa Democrats want to flip state and federal seats. And they’re eyeing retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst’s spot as a 2026 possibility. They also want the empty House seat vacated by Republican Ashley Hinson, who’s running for Senate. Van Hollen invigorating the base couldn’t hurt.

The party is facing a reckoning, he said, and really needs to look itself in the mirror.

“I mean the fact that we lost a presidential election to Donald Trump,” he said, “was a sign that at least a majority of Americans didn’t trust the Democrats to fight for them.”