By: Ariella Haviv – Jewish Voice News

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is confronting the steepest erosion of public support at any point in his nearly four-decade political career, according to a newly released Siena College poll that has captured widespread attention across New York political circles. As reported on Tuesday by VIN News, the survey shows that only 32% of New York voters now hold a favorable view of Schumer, while 55% express an unfavorable opinion—numbers that pollsters describe as unprecedented for the state’s highest-ranking federal lawmaker.

The Siena findings, published this week, suggest that Schumer’s once-commanding position in New York politics has weakened dramatically, marking a significant shift for a figure long regarded as one of the state’s most durable and broadly supported elected officials. The VIN News report noted that these latest results represent Schumer’s lowest favorability rating in more than twenty years of Siena College polling.

Steven Greenberg, the veteran Siena pollster who analyzed the results, told reporters that the scale and scope of Schumer’s decline is “historically stark,” especially when contrasted with past benchmarks. “This is Schumer’s lowest approval in more than 20 years,” Greenberg explained, as quoted by VIN News. He pointed to trendlines showing that Schumer once enjoyed towering approval ratings—such as February 2005, when New Yorkers rated him favorably by a margin of 63% to 20%, and later in July 2005, when he reached his all-time high at 70% to 22%.

The comparison with more recent history is similarly striking. As Greenberg noted and the VIN News report underscored, Schumer in December 2016—just a month before he assumed the role of Senate Democratic leader—still enjoyed a positive favorability rating even among Republicans, holding a 55% to 37% advantage within the opposing party. Today that number has inverted dramatically, with 74% of Republicans viewing him unfavorably.

Independents, a crucial voting bloc in statewide contests, have also shifted firmly against him. According to the Siena survey, 61% of independents now hold an unfavorable view of the senator, a statistic that VIN News characterized as one of the more consequential components of the dataset, given the group’s decisive influence in past New York elections.

Even within Schumer’s own party, erosion has become unmistakable. While Democrats continue to rate him more positively than negatively, the margin has narrowed considerably. VIN News reported that Democratic voters now give Schumer only a slight edge, with 45% holding a favorable view and 43% an unfavorable one—down sharply from September’s 52% to 36% split. This tightening margin signals what Greenberg called a “clear downward trajectory” in intraparty confidence.

Regional breakdowns within the poll reveal additional challenges. “Schumer is viewed unfavorably by a plurality of New York City voters and strong majorities of downstate suburbanites and upstaters,” Greenberg emphasized. The VIN News report noted that these across-the-board declines present the senator with mounting vulnerabilities statewide, suggesting that dissatisfaction is no longer limited to one particular demographic or geographic segment.

The poll, which surveyed 802 registered voters between November 10 and 12, carries a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points. Still, the trends remain unmistakable, and the statewide reaction has already been swift. According to the information provided in the VIN News report, the latest numbers have sparked renewed conversations among progressive Democrats about the possibility of recruiting or supporting primary challengers against Schumer in future election cycles.

These discussions had already been simmering quietly, fueled by long-standing tensions between the Senate leader and the party’s outspoken left-wing faction, but the Siena poll appears to have accelerated them. Some progressive officials and activists argue that the new data signals an opportunity to reshape the party’s leadership, a sentiment that VIN News reported is gaining traction in several New York political organizations.

Among the figures benefiting from these shifting dynamics is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose statewide favorability numbers outpace Schumer’s in the same survey. According to the Siena data and as highlighted in the VIN News report, Ocasio-Cortez enjoys a 42% favorability to 37% unfavorability rating among all New York voters. While not overwhelmingly positive, it nonetheless represents a significantly stronger position than Schumer’s current standing.

Her support among Democrats is particularly notable. VIN News reported that within her own party, Ocasio-Cortez is viewed favorably by a commanding 62% to 20% margin. In New York City specifically, her support is similarly robust, reflected in a 55% to 27% split in the survey.

These statistics, as the VIN News report noted, call attention to the divergence between the traditional Democratic establishment—represented by figures such as Schumer—and the newer, more progressive voices shaping the party’s grassroots activism. While there is no indication that Ocasio-Cortez is considering a direct challenge to Schumer, the comparative polling reflects dynamics within the state that could influence party strategy in future elections.

Political observers cited by VIN News have suggested that voter fatigue may be contributing to Schumer’s declining numbers, alongside increased polarization, rising discontent among moderates, and dissatisfaction among progressive voters who argue that Schumer has not gone far enough on certain policy issues. Others point to the overall national political climate and voter frustration with gridlock in Washington, arguing that incumbents of both parties are facing heightened scrutiny and impatience from the electorate.

Regardless of the underlying reasons, the Siena poll marks a sharp departure from the senator’s longstanding pattern of popularity. For decades, Schumer has prided himself on an energetic, retail-politics style characterized by frequent appearances across all corners of the state, a strategy that historically bolstered his approval ratings. However, the survey suggests that his once-formidable reservoir of goodwill has been depleted dramatically.

In contrast with earlier eras, when Schumer enjoyed broad bipartisan support and maintained strong favorability numbers even during periods of national political volatility, the current landscape poses challenges not just for his public image but also for his long-term political positioning. While he remains deeply entrenched within the Senate Democratic leadership, statewide erosion could have implications for future campaigns, party influence, and internal dynamics.

The Siena findings also come amid heightened political tensions across New York, where debates over crime, economic pressures, immigration, and foreign policy have increasingly dominated public discourse. As VIN News reported, voter attitudes concerning national and local issues appear to be influencing perceptions of political figures at all levels, including Schumer.

Ocasio-Cortez’s steady support among Democrats, as reflected in the poll, may further heighten scrutiny on the Senate leader from within his own party. Progressive leaders have already pointed to the Siena data as evidence that Schumer risks losing touch with key constituencies if he does not reassess his approach or messaging.

For now, Schumer has not publicly commented on the Siena poll results, and his office declined to respond to specific questions from news outlets. VIN News reported that Democratic strategists are reviewing the survey to determine whether the trend represents a temporary fluctuation or a more enduring shift in public sentiment.

With the political calendar moving steadily toward the next election cycle, the new data underscores a potentially turbulent period ahead for New York’s senior senator. While Schumer retains significant institutional power and deep national influence, the Siena poll—paired with comparisons to earlier polling milestones cited in the VIN News report—reflects a moment of unprecedented vulnerability.

Whether this marks the beginning of a long-term decline or a temporary dip remains to be seen. But for many observers, the latest survey represents a pivotal marker in the evolving landscape of New York politics—one in which the state’s most seasoned political figure now finds himself navigating the greatest headwinds of his career.