Most Progressives Want Chuck Schumer Replaced as Dem Leader. Over Half Want Hakeem Jeffries Out Too.

Days after Democrats won control of Congress in the 2026 midterms, 72% of respondents in a survey by the progressive group Our Revolution said they wanted a new Senate Democratic leader in place of Chuck Schumer. A narrower majority, 52%, wanted House Democrats to replace Hakeem Jeffries.

The group surveyed 4,308 progressive respondents on November 6 and 7. It released the findings as it pushed for open, competitive leadership elections in both chambers. The results reflect the views of the people who participated and cannot be generalized to Democratic voters or the public. Our Revolution rounded the percentages.

The two chambers differed by 20 percentage points. While 72% wanted a new Senate leader, 22% said their support for Schumer depended on what he delivers, and only 5% backed his leadership.

In the House, 29% said their support for Jeffries depended on what he delivers, while 18% backed him outright. Jeffries had more outright support than Schumer, and more respondents were willing to wait and see what he delivers.

The strongest consensus in the survey concerned money in the next Democratic presidential primary. Eighty-nine percent of respondents favored barring corporate and dark money from the party's 2028 presidential primaries.

Dark money refers to political spending whose original donors are undisclosed. Support for the ban was 17 percentage points higher than support for replacing Schumer and 37 points higher than support for replacing Jeffries. It was the most widely backed proposal among the findings Our Revolution released.

Respondents also called for a greater role for progressives within the party. Sixty-nine percent wanted progressives in party leadership, and 56% called for greater investment in progressive candidates. The first finding concerns who helps set the party's direction. The second concerns where the party puts its resources when candidates run for office.

Our Revolution said its petition for competitive leadership elections drew about 3,500 signatures after it launched Sunday. The group wants candidates for the House and Senate posts to explain publicly what they would do with the new Democratic majorities.

It is asking them to spell out how they would challenge corporate influence and lower costs for working people. The organization also wants Democrats to use their power in Congress to hold President Donald Trump's administration accountable.

The petition focuses on decisions that congressional leaders help make, including which bills get a vote, which issues lawmakers investigate, and which proposals receive the party's backing.

By asking candidates to lay out their priorities before the leadership elections, Our Revolution is seeking a public debate over how Democrats would use those powers once they take control of both chambers.

The organization grew out of Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign and works to elect progressive candidates and advance progressive policies. Its push after the midterms reaches from Congress to the next presidential race.