Schumer’s Approval Rating Declines in New Poll
According to a Siena College poll released on Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s approval rating among voters in New York has dropped to a record low. His favorability rating now stands at just 32%, the lowest in the poll’s 20-year history, with 55% of respondents indicating an unfavorable view of him. Interestingly, only 45% of Democrats view his leadership positively, while 43% see him unfavorably.
Schumer’s office has yet to respond to inquiries regarding these findings. Historically, Schumer’s numbers were much more favorable. In February 2005, his favorability was between 63% and 20%. It peaked in July 2005 at 70-22%. However, now 74% of Republicans view him negatively, as do 61% of independents. The slight positive favorability among Democrats has decreased from 52% to 36% back in September.
Many voters from New York City, along with a majority of downstate suburban and upstate residents, have an unfavorable opinion of Schumer. It’s worth mentioning that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez enjoys a favorability rating ranging from 42% to 37% overall but fares much better among Democrats and city voters.
This latest Siena poll is part of a trend, as other surveys this year have also shown Schumer struggling with low approval ratings. For instance, another poll released in April indicated a 39% favorable rating against 49% unfavorable. By September, he had a favorability of 42% among New York state voters.
Some Democratic strategists have begun to question Schumer’s ability to lead, especially after he opposed a November 9 deal with Republicans aimed at ending a 43-day government shutdown. Notably, on the same day, one of the co-hosts of “The View,” Sunny Hostin, suggested he should resign if he couldn’t unite his caucus, given that several Democratic senators crossed party lines on the vote.
Despite this criticism, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has publicly backed Schumer’s leadership, praising the Democratic efforts during the recent shutdown. Overall, Congressional approval ratings have plummeted recently, now sitting at just 15%, according to a Gallup poll.
The Siena poll was conducted from November 10 to 12 and surveyed 802 registered voters in New York State, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.
