Schumer sinks, AOC soars in new poll as liberal voters demand harder line on Trump

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's poll numbers in his home state of New York are taking a hit.

The top Senate Democrat and longtime lawmaker faced intense backlash from within his own party in March for supporting a Republican-crafted federal government funding bill that averted a government shutdown and was backed by President Donald Trump but opposed by most congressional Democrats.

That anger by Democrats appears to be reflected in a new poll of New Yorkers conducted by Siena College.

Schumer's favorable rating stands at 39% favorable and 49% unfavorable among New York state voters questioned in the poll, which was conducted April 14-16 and released on Tuesday.

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It's the worst showing by Schumer in the 20 years Siena College has been conducting polls in New York state.

"A first in a Siena College poll: Schumer is 10 points underwater, with a plurality of voters viewing him unfavorably," Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said.

Fueling the deterioration of Schumer's numbers is a plunge in favorability among Democrats.

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"While he continues to be viewed unfavorably by more than two-thirds of Republicans and a majority of independents, Schumer saw his standing with Democrats, particularly liberals, fall dramatically," Greenberg said. "Democrats view Schumer favorably 52-38%, down from 68-23%, and he’s still viewed favorably by a plurality of liberals, 47-41%, but that’s down from 68-21%."

While the poll shows that Schumer's favorable ratings are taking a hit, it also indicates that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's numbers are soaring.

Ocasio-Cortez, the four-term Democrat from New York City and a progressive champion, stands at 47% favorable and 33% unfavorable among New York state voters. That's a jump from 38%-39% the last time Siena asked about Ocasio-Cortez among a statewide sample of respondents, four years ago.

According to the poll, 64% of Democrats view Ocasio-Cortez in a favorable light, more than Schumer or Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. Six in 10 Republicans questioned in the poll view Ocasio-Cortez in a negative way, with independents evenly divided.

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Schumer has repeatedly argued that voting to advance the GOP federal funding bill was the best of two bad options and a government shutdown would have given more power to Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, the president's special White House advisor who's aggressively chopping the federal workforce as he steers DOGE.

While facing calls by fellow Democrats to be more vocal in his opposition to Trump, Schumer to date has kept his control of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

While the Senate minority leader isn't up for re-election until 2028, there are already suggestions that Ocasio-Cortez could wage a primary challenge against Schumer, with some early polling suggesting that she would top him.

Hochul, who is running next year for a second four-year term as New York governor, is enjoying a rise in her approval and favorable ratings, according to the poll.

The governor's approval rating stands at 48%-45%, up from 46%-48% in Siena College's March poll. 

And Hochul's favorable ratings now stand at 44%-43%, up from 40%-50% last month.

While only 39% of voters are prepared to re-elect Hochul in 2026 – with 48% saying they would like to see "someone else" – her standing is an improvement from March, when only 34% wanted to see her re-elected and 56% preferred someone else.

Greenberg noted that when it comes to the governor's approval and favorable ratings, "Hochul improved most among upstate and women voters."

Republican Reps. Elise Stefanik and Mike Lawler, and Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman, are all considering launching GOP campaigns for governor against Hochul.

Pointing to the latest poll results from Siena, Democratic Governors Association spokesperson Kevin Donohoe argued, "New Yorkers strongly support Governor Hochul's leadership because she is fighting to get results on the priorities that matter to them – from public safety to lowering costs."