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New Yorkers' view on Sen. Chuck Schumer has soured following shutdown mess
By
Jimmy Vielkind
Published Nov 20, 2025
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By
Jimmy Vielkind
Published Nov 20, 2025
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This column originally appeared in The Politics Brief, our weekly newsletter on the people, power and policies that shape New Yorkers' lives.
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The federal government shutdown has left Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in the political gutter.
The Brooklyn Democrat’s favorability rating among New Yorkers is at its lowest level in two decades, a new poll shows. Jon Stewart is mocking his grandfatherly schtick on national television. Progressives who protested Schumer for not fighting harder against President Donald Trump remain upset with how he handled this funding battle.
“We're at a moment in our democratic civic life that young is in and, you know, change is in,” said former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, who worked on Schumer’s congressional staff before he won a Senate seat in 1998. “And Chuck is an institutionalist.”
Just 32% of New York voters surveyed last week by the Siena Research Institute had a favorable impression of Schumer, compared to 55% who viewed him unfavorably. That’s a 20-point swing from September.
Liberals have long complained about Schumer, but the poll found a bigger negative swing among self-identified moderates. The minority leader is now underwater with both groups, as well as with Democrats across the board.
The polls showed the largest swing was among independents. That’s a particular blow to a career legislator who’s emphasized constituent services and simply showing up. Schumer is famous for holding press conferences on Sundays, when it's easy to get media attention about anything from Greek yogurt to a missing honeybee census.
The Sunday events have ebbed, as has Schumer’s tradition of visiting all 62 counties in the state each year.
Angry liberals, frustrated independents, furious Republicans who once cut him slack – “It’s all of the above,” said poll spokesperson Steven Greenberg.
Schumer, whose aides didn’t return messages seeking comment, led Democrats to shut down the government in October, withholding votes from funding bills in hope to renew health insurance subsidies set to expire next month. Republicans singled him out for blame and the Trump administration blamed Democrats for the shutdown on official channels.
Eventually eight members of Schumer’s caucus broke ranks and voted to reopen the government in exchange for the promise of a Senate floor vote on extending the subsidies. Liat Olenick, a 39-year-old Indivisible activist who demonstrated outside Schumer’s house in March when he agreed to support funding without drawing concessions, said his most recent tack was no better.
“I feel the same way, which is utterly outraged and disappointed. I don't think that he is the right leader for this moment,” Olenick said.
She also said Schumer’s refusal to endorse Zohran Mamdani for mayor shows he’s out-of-step with the pulse of his party. It’s clear that the 43-day stalemate sucked up lots of Schumer’s time.
Other progressives are more forgiving but still displeased. Ana Maria Archila, co-director of the state’s Working Families Party, said she saw how hard Schumer pushed during the shutdown fight. But the party’s failure is his failure.
“It's probably unfair, and also that is the reality of the job,” she said. “You're held accountable.”
Weiner agreed that Schumer’s current low-point is reflective, and it could turn around quickly if Democrats do well in next year’s midterm elections. Schumer isn’t up for re-election then – his current term expires in 2028.
“Long story short, there's going to be so many little tempests and so many big storms between now and election time ‘28 that I don't really think you can learn anything by looking at the polls today,” he said.
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This week in New York politics
- Zohran Mamdani’s signature campaign imagery became ubiquitous on street corners and in storefront windows during the election cycle. Here’s the story behind the visuals.
- Just two weeks after Democrat Mikie Sherrill’s victory over Republican Jack Ciattarelli in the New Jersey governor’s race, her party is eyeing a few GOP seats it believes can be flipped in next year’s midterms. Here are the districts Democrats are eyeing.
- City Councilmember Chi Ossé has taken the first official step toward a Democratic primary challenge against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Here’s what’s at stake.
- Young voters came out in droves to boost Zohran Mamdani to a win on Election Day, and many convinced their parents to get on board, too. Here’s how.
- In more Mamdani news, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch has made it official. She’ll continue to oversee the force under the new administration. Here’s more on that situation.
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- Listen: Sen. Andy Kim came on “The Brian Lehrer Show” to talk about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey. Listen here.
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Jimmy Vielkind
Jimmy Vielkind covers how state government and politics affect people throughout New York. He has covered Albany since 2008, most recently as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Jimmy led a team of reporters that won a New York Press Club award for coverage of Andrew Cuomo’s downfall and was on a team that won a Gerald Loeb Award for coverage of Amazon’s HQ2 process. A native of the Capitol Region, Jimmy has two degrees in urban planning. His position is funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Reach Jimmy at [email protected].
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