Charles Ellis Schumer (/ˈʃuːmər/; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician of the Democratic Party serving as the senior United States Senator from New York, a seat he was first elected to in 1998. Since 2017 he also is the Senate Minority Leader. He first defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D'Amato 55% to 44% before being reelected in 2004 with 71% of the vote, in 2010 with 66% of the vote, and in 2016 with 70% of the vote. He is the current dean of New York's congressional delegation.