A majority of senior Democratic staffers on Capitol Hill said Senate Majority Leader John Thune is the most effective congressional leader, according to our latest Canvass survey.
When asked which of the “Big Four” is the most effective, 54% of senior Democratic aides chose Thune. Around a quarter — 27% — said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, while 13% said Speaker Mike Johnson.
Just 6% of senior Democratic staffers chose Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Among all senior aides surveyed, 50% said Thune is the most effective, followed by 33% for Johnson, 14% for Jeffries and 3% for Schumer.
These results are a reflection of multiple different dynamics on the Hill, including many Democrats’ belief that Schumer hasn’t been an effective opposition leader in the Trump era.
It also shouldn’t be terribly shocking that Thune came out on top, especially when you consider how successful he’s been supporting President Donald Trump and his agenda.
Thune has been able to keep his conference together on the big-ticket items, from reconciliation to Cabinet nominees, while resisting the president’s nagging over the filibuster and blue slips. Thune also led a rules-change effort that steamrolled Democrats’ slow-walking of Trump’s other nominees.
While Thune is going through a rough patch right now on appropriations and health care, that pales in comparison to the near-constant chaos of Johnson’s speakership. And unlike Johnson, the South Dakota Republican isn’t nearly as dependent on Trump for his own success.
On Schumer. The New York Democrat’s popularity has plummeted this year, particularly among progressives, after he helped provide the votes for a GOP-authored stopgap funding bill in March.
That sentiment was accelerated last month when eight Democratic senators backed a bipartisan deal to end the government shutdown even though Schumer voted against it.
Schumer has become something of a lightning-rod figure in Democratic primaries, with several top candidates saying they won’t support him for Democratic leader if they’re elected to the Senate.
Despite the anger on the left, Schumer’s job isn’t in any real danger, as we’ve reported. It’s also worth noting that Schumer helped engineer the passage of landmark bipartisan legislation when he served as majority leader during the Biden administration — something Schumer’s allies say proves his effectiveness.
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