Democrats’ sweeping election gains have not ended a simmering argument over who should lead them in Congress. A handful of current and incoming lawmakers are questioning Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, although nobody has publicly launched a challenge against either leader.

That leaves the critics facing an old political problem: You cannot beat somebody with nobody. Online anger may be plentiful, but an actual alternative candidate remains elusive.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York is positioned to become the first Black person to wield the Speaker’s gavel. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, his fellow Brooklynite, says he expects to regain the Senate Majority Leader title in January.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen has come closest to challenging Schumer publicly. Van Hollen, 67, has been in “listening mode” and has called colleagues while considering the leadership question.

“There should not be a coronation,” Van Hollen said Tuesday. “We need to have a discussion in the caucus, and there needs to be a plan on how we’re going to use this large majority to deliver for the country.”

Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, told MS NOW the “election was about change.” He said, “People want new leadership here in the Senate, so I will not be supporting Chuck.”

Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin also said Democrats “need a new generation of leadership.” Slotkin, who made similar arguments while serving in the House and regarding Joe Biden, clarified that she is “not actively seeking” the majority leader position.

Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock remained noncommittal and said he was willing to hear from colleagues interested in leading. He wants candidates to explain how they would confront the “outsized impact of corporate powers in our politics, the corruption that we’re witnessing.”

Some incoming senators have also indicated they may oppose Schumer. An NBC News poll found that 13% of registered voters viewed him positively, while 53% viewed him negatively.

Kansas Democrat Adam Hamilton told MS NOW after his race was called that he meant “no disrespect” toward Schumer. Still, Hamilton said he wanted to find “people who unite us.”

Schumer retains substantial advantages. He is currently the only declared candidate, Democrats may hesitate to start a fruitless internal battle after sweeping victories, and his aides told The New York Times that he had secured enough commitments for next month’s private vote.

Democrats had faced a difficult Senate map, but they flipped the chamber and could gain as many as nine seats. Some of Schumer’s recruits helped fuel that result, giving his supporters a straightforward case for keeping him.

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand credited Schumer with strong recruits including Roy Cooper in North Carolina and Sherrod Brown in Ohio. “We spent a year and a half talking about cost, corruption, and chaos. That was all Leader Schumer’s decisionmaking and effort to keep our caucus united,” she said.

Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego similarly pointed to the results, saying, “these are historic numbers.” Senators Brian Schatz and Ben Ray Lujan, along with incoming Senator Sherrod Brown, have also voiced support or questioned whether Schumer even has an opponent.

The Senate leadership election will not occur until December, leaving time for Van Hollen or somebody else to run. Because the vote is secret, senators could publicly support Schumer while opposing him privately, though the secrecy could also protect quiet supporters.

Schumer needs only a simple majority of his caucus. Even support from 30 Democratic senators would be enough, making his path considerably easier than the public House vote awaiting Jeffries.

Democrats are on pace to hold nearly 260 of the House’s 435 seats. That margin would allow Jeffries to lose more than 40 Democratic votes and still win the speakership, while Representative Gregory Meeks predicted Jeffries would need no more than one ballot.

Progressives are still seeking policy assurances. Representative Pramila Jayapal wants a markup and vote on Medicare for All, action against corruption and big tech, and a change in Israel policy, while incoming Representative Melat Kiros wants an agenda reflecting the “populist politics that won the midterm cycle.”

Other incoming members want Democrats to settle the matter quickly. Incoming Representative Dan Koh backs Jeffries and warned against “months and months of acrimony,” while Representative Mark Pocan said there is “no question” Jeffries will become speaker.

For all the public agitation, neither leader currently faces a declared challenger. Democrats may debate change loudly, but Schumer and Jeffries enter the leadership contests with favorable math, prominent support and, most importantly, actual candidacies.