WASHINGTON _ Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York was elected by Democrats as minority leader of the Senate on Wednesday, and he quickly added new leadership posts for members representing the party's left and right flanks following this month's stinging election losses.
Schumer will take over for the retiring Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, who tapped his former lieutenant for the top spot. Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Sen. Patty Murray of Washington kept top spots.
But Schumer also broadened the Democratic leadership tent with the intent of improving the party's standing with both its progressive wing and its working-class base, two groups whose frustration with the party and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton helped lead to President-elect Donald Trump's victory.
Joining the leadership team are Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who challenged Clinton for the presidential nomination; conservative Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia; and Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.
Populist Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts also kept a top spot.
"There's a debate going on about whether we should be the party of the diverse Obama coalition, or the blue-collar American in the heartland," Schumer said, referring to the broad swath of heavily minority voters who helped put President Barack Obama in office.
"We need to be the party that speaks to and works on behalf of all Americans and a bigger, bolder, sharper-edged economic message that talks about people in the middle class," Schumer said. He said Democrats should also confront "the unfairness in the American economic system."
Sanders had been angling to become ranking member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, a powerful legislative perch for his agenda.
But Murray has seniority on that committee and kept the job.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California will take over as ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, a key role as Trump moves to nominate a justice to fill the Supreme Court vacancy.
