Schumer’s Approval Ratings at an All-Time Low
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is experiencing the lowest approval ratings of his long career in the Senate, which spans over 25 years.
Recent polling indicates that nearly 75% of New York residents rate his performance as either “poor” or “fair,” marking the worst feedback since he took office in 1999. The survey, released by Marist, also reports that fellow New York Democrat, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, is facing her lowest approval in over 15 years.
In detail, 41% of voters describe Schumer’s job performance as “poor,” while 24% consider it “fair.” Only 8% believe he’s doing an “excellent” job, and 19% rate him as “good.” This translates to just over one in four voters holding a positive view of a politician who’s been in elected office since 1975.
Interestingly, Schumer’s approval rating has dropped by 34% since 2025. The most significant decline is seen among Republicans, where those viewing his job as “fair” or “unsatisfactory” surged from 69% to 84%. Even among Democrats, a slight increase in disapproval, from 46% to 50%, has been noted.
This poll emerges as a partial government shutdown continues into its second week, impacting agencies under the Department of Homeland Security.
Notably, Schumer previously led his party to avert a government shutdown in early 2025. However, later that year, he experienced the longest standoff on record. The Democrats delayed a vote to reopen the government to negotiate better Obamacare subsidies, only to have moderate Democrats defy Schumer and support government funding.
There’s growing pressure within the party advocating for a renewal, pushing for the removal of entrenched politicians. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a fellow Democrat, faces calls to challenge Schumer in the upcoming 2028 primary, with polling suggesting she could lead him by a substantial margin.
For Gillibrand, just over half of surveyed New York voters rated her performance as “fair” or “poor,” with only 22% supporting her as doing a “good” job. This is her worst rating since 2010 and reflects a 36% drop since April 2025. Gillibrand has held her Senate position since 2009, when she took over from Hillary Clinton.
The approval ratings for the Democratic Party overall are dismal, sitting at record lows. A mere 18% of voters approve of how Democrats are managing affairs in Washington.
A spokesperson for the New York Republican Party commented on the situation, suggesting that with the Democratic Party’s historically low ratings, it’s unsurprising to see similar trends for its leaders, calling Schumer a “scornful demagogue” and implying that Gillibrand is overshadowed.
The poll was conducted from February 16 to 19, surveying 1,552 adults throughout New York, with a margin of error of 3.2.
As of now, Schumer and Gillibrand’s offices have not responded to inquiries for comment regarding these ratings.
