Should congressional leaders be replaced? Democrats sour on one of their own, poll finds

A plurality of Democrats wants Sen. Chuck Schumer to be replaced as minority leader, according to a new poll, which comes as the New York lawmaker faces criticism for voting to pass a GOP funding bill.

In a March 20 YouGov poll, 40% of Democrats said that Schumer should be ousted as the party’s leader in the Senate. Meanwhile, 28% said he should remain in his position, and 32% said they were not sure.

Among all respondents, 36% said he should be replaced, while 19% said he should keep his position, and 45% said they weren’t sure.

The poll — which sampled 8,125 U.S. adults March 19 and 20 — was released one week after Schumer voted with nine other Senate Democrats to pass a Republican-drafted continuing resolution, which averted a government shutdown.

He defended his decision by saying that a shutdown would have given President Donald Trump and Elon Musk “carte blanche to destroy vital government services at a significantly faster rate than they can right now.”

But several of his colleagues expressed disapproval, saying the fifth-term lawmaker missed an opportunity to exact concessions from Republicans.

“I myself don’t give away anything for nothing,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters on March 18, according to Politico. “I think that’s what happened the other day.”

“I respect Chuck Schumer,” Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey said at a March 19 public event, according to The Guardian. “But I’m afraid that it may be time for the Senate Democrats to get a new leader.”

And, when asked whether Schumer should step aside on March 20, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said, “Let me just say it’s important for people to know when it’s time to go,” NPR reported.

Democrats across the country have also soured on Schumer.

Since February, the share of Democrats who have a very or somewhat favorable view of the Senate minority leader has plummeted from 57% to 39%, according to a March 19 YouGov/Economist poll.

Other congressional leaders

Meanwhile, other congressional leaders enjoy higher levels of support from the public and members of their parties, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of 1.3 percentage points.

Twenty-nine percent of respondents said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries should remain in his position, while 27% said he should step aside and 44% said they were not sure.

And, a majority of Democrats, 52%, said the New York representative should stay where he is — marking a stark contrast with Schumer. Eighteen percent said she should be replaced, and 30% said they weren’t sure.

Similarly, 30% of respondents said House Speaker Mike Johnson should stay in power, while 27% said he should be ousted and 43% said they were unsure.

A strong majority of Republicans, 60%, said Johnson — a fifth-term lawmaker from Louisiana, should remain in his position. Just 13% said he should step aside, and 27% said they weren’t sure.

Lastly, when asked about Senate Majority Leader John Thune, 23% of respondents said the South Dakota Republican should remain in power. Twenty percent said he should be ousted, and 57% said they weren’t sure.

Among Republicans, 44% said he should stay, while 15% said he should be replaced and 41% said they didn’t know.

This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 12:18 PM with the headline "Should congressional leaders be replaced? Democrats sour on one of their own, poll finds."