Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer may have coasted to reelection in 2022, but if the latest numbers are any indication, the New York Democrat is standing on political quicksand.
A new poll from the Jewish Voters Action Network reveals that Schumer — once considered untouchable in New York politics — is now trailing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez among potential Democratic primary voters. That’s right. The self-declared socialist from the Bronx is pulling 54% to Schumer’s 33%, with 12% still undecided. Let that sink in: the Senate’s most powerful Democrat is being outpaced by someone who once thought Amazon jobs were a bad idea.
Even among Jewish Democrats — Schumer’s supposed base — he’s behind. AOC clocks in at 45%, Schumer at 38%, and the rest still making up their minds. That alone should have every DNC strategist hitting the panic button.
Maury Litwack, cofounder of the Jewish Voters Action Network, didn’t mince words. He called the results a “massive wake-up call” for Schumer, pointing out that the longtime senator is not only losing ground inside his party, but also among Jewish voters, a group he’s historically relied on. The reasons? A growing perception that Schumer hasn’t done enough to confront antisemitism — especially in his own backyard.
One example? Schumer’s failure to pass the Antisemitism Awareness Act — a modest piece of legislation aimed at curbing hate, particularly on college campuses. That failure wasn’t lost on his constituents. Neither was his now-infamous advice to Columbia University, urging them to more or less ignore rising concerns over antisemitic incidents on campus.
That’s not leadership. That’s political cowardice disguised as diplomacy.
As Litwack bluntly stated: “The leading Jewish elected official in the nation did not step up.” And it shows.
The blowback isn’t just anecdotal. It’s measurable. An April Siena College poll showed a significant drop in Schumer’s favorability statewide. Just 39% of New Yorkers now view him favorably, while 49% view him unfavorably. That’s underwater by double digits — and in deep blue New York, that’s saying something.
Even within his own party, the numbers are trending in the wrong direction. Democratic approval of Schumer dropped from 68-23% to 52-38%. Among liberals — supposedly Schumer’s ideological home turf — he’s slipped from 68-21% to a razor-thin 47-41%. That’s not erosion. That’s collapse.
Steven Greenberg of Siena College pointed out that the drop is especially pronounced among Democrats. It’s clear that the party base is restless — and not buying what Chuck’s been selling. Years of empty platitudes and behind-the-scenes deals don’t cut it when your own party has shifted hard left and demands performative outrage over practical results.
Fox News highlighted these trends, and conservatives should take note: this isn’t just a New York story. It’s a symptom of the broader identity crisis tearing through the Democratic Party. On one side, establishment relics like Schumer, clinging to political traditions and backroom influence. On the other, radicals like Ocasio-Cortez, who’ve built their brand by scorning bipartisan compromise and doubling down on fringe ideology.
Schumer is now caught in the undertow of the very progressive wave he once tried to ride. But now that wave has a name, and it’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The irony? Schumer’s lack of leadership on antisemitism — arguably one of the few issues that should unify voters — might be the final nail in his political coffin. It’s one thing to be outflanked by a charismatic upstart. It’s another to lose the moral high ground with your own faith community by refusing to confront the truth when it’s politically inconvenient.
So what now?
If Schumer wants to remain relevant, he’ll need to rethink his strategy — fast. Gone are the days when incumbency and seniority guaranteed political survival. Today’s Democratic Party is more interested in hashtags and protest signs than legislative experience.
This polling data isn’t just a warning — it’s a flashing red light. If Chuck Schumer doesn’t recalibrate, he may be remembered not as the man who led Senate Democrats for decades, but as the one who got primaried into retirement by the very movement he helped enable.
In a party increasingly dominated by radicals and performative politics, Schumer’s cautious brand of backroom liberalism is starting to look like a relic. The political sands in New York — and in the Democratic Party at large — are shifting. And if these numbers hold, Chuck may find himself out of power not because of Republicans, but because his own party decided he was no longer useful.