Chuck Schumer More Loathed Than He’s Ever Been In Over Quarter-Century Senate Career, Poll Shows

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is now facing his lowest approval ratings since he first set foot in the upper chamber over a quarter century ago.

The lead Senate Democrat’s job approval is deep underwater among Empire State residents, with just under three in four holding a “poor” or “fair” view of him — his worst mark since he took office in 1999, according to a Marist poll released Thursday. Voters also handed Schumer’s fellow New York Democrat, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, her lowest job approval rating in more than 15 years, the survey shows.

Forty-one percent of voters surveyed said Schumer is doing a “poor” job in office while 24% gave him a “fair” approval rating. Meanwhile, only eight percent of New York voters said Schumer is doing an “excellent” job, and 19% said he’s doing a “good” job in office — meaning just over one in four voters gave a positive review of the career politician, who has continuously served in elected office since 1975.

Schumer’s overall approval rating is down 34% from 2025, according to the poll. The biggest swing in Schumer’s approval came from Republicans who jumped from 69% to 84% in rating the leader’s job as “fair” or “poor.” Democrats also notably increased their criticism of Schumer, albeit slightly from 46% to 50%.

The poll comes as a partial government shutdown stretches into its second week, impacting agencies that operate under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Schumer steered his party away from a government shutdown in early 2025 but