Good-luck Chuck may have just received a political second chance.
Sen. Chuck Schumer was among New York’s least popular politicians only days ago. Now, a Democratic surge in the midterm elections has positioned him for another run at Senate leadership.
Schumer is expected to become Senate majority leader next year after Democrats regained control of both chambers of Congress in a stunning rebuke of President Trump.
The senior Empire State senator, who served as majority leader in 2021 during Joe Biden’s presidency, said he plans to deliver major results for New York in the next session.
“Helping New York has always been my North Star. And now we have a real chance to deliver that help with the majority,” Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in the US government, told The Post.
The reversal marks a surprising turn for the longtime Brooklyn-born politician. Republicans have targeted him for years, while frustrated liberals recently criticized him for not taking a more aggressive stance against the Trump administration.
Schumer’s standing in New York fell to a historic low after Democrats and independents accused him of failing to do enough to confront Trump and congressional Republicans, who controlled both chambers after the 2024 elections.
Just 32% of New York state voters viewed him favorably last November, his lowest rating in 21 years of polling by Siena University.
By May of this year, Schumer’s favorable rating had edged up to 33%, but 52% of New York voters viewed him unfavorably, including 40% of Democrats, according to Siena.
Among Americans surveyed, he also posted the lowest approval rating of any leading US political figure.
The RealClearPolitics average of national surveys found that just 25% of Americans viewed Schumer favorably, compared with 49% who viewed him unfavorably.
Schumer, 75, is up for re-election in 2028. Some progressives in the party had openly discussed mounting a primary challenge if he seeks another term, with Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez weighing a possible campaign for president or the Senate.
But Schumer’s political fortunes improved after last week’s election. He and fellow New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Committee, received credit for helping shape the party’s winning strategy.
Democrats won more than 55 seats in last week’s election, securing a strong majority and creating the first meaningful congressional check on Trump’s second administration. The party’s resurgence could also improve voters’ views of Schumer, political insiders said.
“Being the majority leader turns things around. He’s got a lot of power,” said former Republican Sen. Al D’Amato, whom Schumer defeated a generation ago.
“If he’s an effective leader, he’ll be able to run for re-election. Nobody will primary him. Chuck is a smart guy. He knows politics inside and out.”
New York State Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs said Schumer deserved recognition for helping recruit candidates who flipped seats from red to blue and restored the Democratic majority.
Voters, he added, tend to rally around winners.
“Nobody can argue with the results. You have to give Chuck Schumer credit. He deserves it,” Jacobs said.
“He did the impossible. He created a Democratic majority. New York voters will give him credit for that. The polls will reward him for that.”
Schumer has “earned the support” to seek and win a sixth Senate term, the state party leader said.
Jacobs said he understood the frustration among some Democrats since Trump returned to the White House, but argued that targeting Schumer was unfair when the party was in the minority.
“Opposing the president when you’re in the minority is a difficult task,” he said.
New Yorkers may also view Schumer more favorably because his new position would give him greater power to secure federal funding for high-priority projects, including initiatives supported by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Schumer’s elevation to Senate leader could produce an all-New York leadership team in Washington, sources said.
Fellow Brooklynite Hakeem Jeffries is also expected to be chosen by House Democrats as the chamber’s first Black speaker, while New York native Trump will remain in office through the end of his second term.
“Chuck Schumer — whether you like him or love him: he is New York. If Zohran was smart, and maybe he is, he should lean into Schumer. He’s been every mayor’s best weapon. He delivers,” a New York Democratic Party source said.
Even so, Schumer has spent his entire adult life in politics, and critics said some voters may believe that, despite his influence, it is time to hand leadership to a new generation of Democrats.
Some newly elected Democrats and political commentators said the voters behind the blue wave were demanding change rather than a return to the party’s previous leadership.
“The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart called for an internal revolt during a recent appearance on “The Weekly Show” podcast.
“You have an opportunity to actually govern. Do it. Take it,” Stewart said. “And one of the first things you need to do is remove that system of seniority from Democratic politics. It is a bulls—t system and it needs to go.
“They’re already like, ‘Chuck Schumer deserves a lot of credit for putting together this…’ Chuck Schumer deserves—Chuck Schumer fought tooth and nail against half of these f–king people!” he said of insurgent Democrats.
“And even if he didn’t, he does not understand the urgency of the moment and what the future demands. I truly believe that.”
Schumer has been a fixture in politics since shortly after graduating from Harvard Law School in 1974. He was elected to the state Assembly and then won a House seat in 1980 at age 29.
He represented Brooklyn and Queens in Congress for 18 years before winning election to the Senate in 1998.
The Brooklynite defeated Republican incumbent D’Amato in a hard-fought campaign and vowed to visit all 62 of New York’s counties every year to stay connected with voters across the state.
He said he has kept that promise every year.