WASHINGTON — Senator Schumer was promoted yesterday to the third-highest Democratic position in the Senate as a reward for helping his party recapture the majority. He also will stay on as the campaign chief for the next election.

“Obviously, it’s just been a wonderful day for me,” Mr. Schumer, a Democrat of New York, said.

Mr. Schumer was given a newly made formal title of vice chairman of the Democratic caucus. The incoming majority leader, Senator Reid, said Mr. Schumer will act as a utility man to tend to whatever policy or political matters require attention.

Senator Clinton was also given a new title, helping coordinate the Democrats’ newfound control of committees. She is essentially swapping one lower-tier leadership role for another, but neither job title reflects her position as early front-runner for the party’s presidential nomination.

For Mr. Schumer, the elevation to the no. 3 spot further vindicates his push to find moderate candidates to win in states like Pennsylvania, where Mr. Schumer helped engineer the defeat of Senator Santorum, the no. 3 Republican in the outgoing Republican majority.

Mr. Santorum lost to Bob Casey, a Democrat who opposes abortion rights and was heavily recruited by Mr. Schumer.

New York’s senior senator said he was focused on convincing voters who were angry with the GOP this year to stick with the Democrats over the long term.

“People said across the country and across New York state, ‘Let’s give Democrats a chance.’ My job is to make sure in the next two years that people know what the Democratic party stands for, that we accomplish some real legislation that makes their lives better and so that in 2008, people will say ‘I like that party,'” Mr. Schumer said.

“We’ve been given a real opportunity, but if we don’t produce for people we will blow it,” he added.

Senate leaders for the upcoming 110th session of Congress to begin in January announced their official leadership roles. Above Mr. Schumer will be Mr. Reid and the majority whip, Mr. Schumer’s Capitol Hill roommate, Senator Durbin.

As vice chairman of the Democratic caucus, the two-term senator is cementing the role that he assumed leading up to the election — acting as a kind of senior counselor to Mr. Reid and the Democrats with an eye toward winning and holding moderate and conservative-leaning states.

He did that largely through his chairmanship of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which he will continue to lead for the 2008 campaign season. Mr. Schumer said days ago that he had already been offered an unusual second term as chairman, charged with raising money, recruiting candidates, and refining the party message.

Mr. Schumer will also assume a more prominent role on a legislative group that deals with economic issues — another core issue for a lawmaker who has railed against Chinese trade and monetary policy.

The senator said his larger policy goals include expanding economic development programs for upstate New York, saving the college tuition tax credit, and changing the homeland security grant formula to bring more anti-terror funds to his home city and state.

Mrs. Clinton, by contrast, gave up her position as chair of Democratic steering and instead became the vice chair of committee outreach, a job title described as helping to coordinate the work of the Democratic committee chairs and members.

Her new job title does not reflect the political heft she brings to any issue or shed any light on when or if she will begin running for the White House.

While other big-name presidential contenders like Rudy Giuliani have already taken the initial step of preparing for a White House run, Mrs. Clinton has remained mum on the subject, saying she is currently focused on legislative priorities, not national campaigns.

“Obviously Hillary now has some decisions to make,” Mr. Schumer said. “I’ll wait for her to make her decision. Whatever her decision, we’re going to continue to work closely together to benefit New York.”