How Liberal Interest Groups Rate the Senators (2007)
Many interest groups rate senators on how they vote. Well-known groups that issue such ratings include Americans for Democratic Action (a progressive group) and the American Conservative Union (a conservative group). In the table below, we give the ratings of seven such groups and the mean value for each senator. However, the ratings are not completely independent. Usually senators who get a good rating from the ADA get a bad rating from the ACU and vice versa. If we used four progressive groups and four conservative groups, every senator would probably get a score of 50%--not very interesting. To avoid this problem, we have only used (relatively) progressive groups. If you are a progressive, a senator with a high score is a good senator (supports everything progressive). If you are a conservative, a senator with a low score is a good senator (opposes everything progressive). In this way the differences between the senators stand out clearly. The table below is sorted on mean rating. Additional ratings from other interest groups can be found at www.vote-smart.org.
The seven groups used in this study are:
ACLU - American Civil Liberties UnionADA - Americans for Democratic Action
CDF - Children's Defense Fund
LCV - League of Conservation Voters
NAACP - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
NARAL - National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League
SEIU - Service Employees International Union
The data is available for download in .csv format so you can slice and dice the data as you wish. The ratings are for 2007. For Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), some of his votes were made as a House member before he was appointed to the Senate.
Thanks to Mike Martin for collecting the data.
The 2005 senator ratings are available here.
| Senator | State | ACLU | ADA | CDF | LCV | NAACP | NARAL | SEIU | Mean |
| Ben Cardin (D) | Maryland | 91% | 95% | 100% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 96% |
| Russ Feingold (D) | Wisconsin | 91% | 95% | 100% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 96% |
| Bob Menendez (D) | New Jersey | 91% | 95% | 100% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 96% |
| Jack Reed (D) | Rhode Island | 91% | 95% | 100% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 96% |
| Daniel Akaka (D) | Hawaii | 91% | 95% | 100% | 87% | 93% | 100% | 91% | 94% |
| Jeff Bingaman (D) | New Mexico | 91% | 90% | 100% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 83% | 94% |
| Sherrod Brown (D) | Ohio | 91% | 95% | 100% | 87% | 100% | 100% | 83% | 94% |
| Dick Durbin (D) | Illinois | 82% | 95% | 100% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 94% |
| Tom Harkin (D) | Iowa | 90% | 95% | 100% | 87% | 100% | 100% | 83% | 94% |
| Frank Lautenberg (D) | New Jersey | 86% | 90% | 100% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 94% |
| Patrick Leahy (D) | Vermont | 91% | 95% | 100% | 80% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 94% |
| Patty Murray (D) | Washington | 90% | 90% | 100% | 87% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 94% |
| Sheldon Whitehouse (D) | Rhode Island | 82% | 95% | 100% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 94% |
| Maria Cantwell (D) | Washington | 91% | 95% | 90% | 87% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 93% |
| Charles Schumer (D) | New York | 91% | 90% | 90% | 93% | 87% | 100% | 100% | 93% |
| Ron Wyden (D) | Oregon | 91% | 95% | 90% | 87% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 93% |
| John Kerry (D) | Massachusetts | 90% | 90% | 90% | 93% | 100% | 90% | 90% | 92% |
| Herbert Kohl (D) | Wisconsin | 64% | 95% | 100% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 92% |
| Bernard Sanders (I) | Vermont | 91% | 95% | 90% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 75% | 92% |
| Carl Levin (D) | Michigan | 82% | 95% | 100% | 67% | 100% | 100% | 90% | 91% |
| Harry Reid (D) | Nevada | 82% | 85% | 100% | 87% | 100% | 100% | 83% | 91% |
| Bob Casey (D) | Pennsylvania | 73% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 65% | 91% | 90% |
| Amy Klobuchar (D) | Minnesota | 73% | 100% | 100% | 67% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 90% |
| Debbie Stabenow (D) | Michigan | 86% | 100% | 100% | 67% | 100% | 100% | 75% | 90% |
| Byron Dorgan (D) | North Dakota | 100% | 85% | 90% | 87% | 93% | 100% | 66% | 89% |
| Barbara Boxer (D) | California | 80% | 80% | 90% | 80% | 93% | 100% | 91% | 88% |
| Barbara Mikulski (D) | Maryland | 45% | 85% | 100% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 88% |
| Thomas Carper (D) | Delaware | 57% | 85% | 90% | 93% | 93% | 100% | 91% | 87% |
| Edward Kennedy (D) | Massachusetts | 82% | 85% | 90% | 93% | 80% | 90% | 90% | 87% |
| Bill Nelson (D) | Florida | 36% | 90% | 90% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 87% |
| Jon Tester (D) | Montana | 91% | 95% | 80% | 80% | 100% | 100% | 66% | 87% |
| Evan Bayh (D) | Indiana | 55% | 95% | 100% | 73% | 93% | 100% | 83% | 86% |
| Diannne Feinstein (D) | California | 55% | 90% | 100% | 87% | 87% | 100% | 81% | 86% |
| Ken Salazar(D) | Colorado | 64% | 85% | 90% | 73% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 86% |
| Daniel Inouye (D) | Hawaii | 36% | 90% | 100% | 80% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 85% |
| James Webb (D) | Virginia | 55% | 85% | 90% | 87% | 93% | 100% | 75% | 84% |
| John Rockefeller (D) | West Virginia | 55% | 85% | 100% | 73% | 93% | 100% | 75% | 83% |
| Hillary Clinton (D) | New York | 82% | 75% | 70% | 73% | N/A | 100% | 91% | 82% |
| Claire McCaskill (D) | Missouri | 64% | 90% | 80% | 73% | 100% | 100% | 66% | 82% |
| Max Baucus (D) | Montana | 91% | 80% | 80% | 67% | 93% | 100% | 58% | 81% |
| Robert Byrd (D) | West Virginia | 82% | 80% | 90% | 73% | 87% | 100% | 54% | 81% |
| Barack Obama (D) | Illinois | 88% | 75% | 60% | 67% | N/A | 100% | 90% | 80% |
| Kent Conrad (D) | North Dakota | 64% | 80% | 90% | 73% | 87% | 75% | 75% | 78% |
| Joseph Lieberman (I) | Connecticut | 27% | 70% | 100% | 93% | 87% | 100% | 72% | 78% |
| Christopher Dodd (D) | Connecticut | 80% | 70% | 60% | 60% | N/A | 100% | 88% | 76% |
| Mark Pryor (D) | Arkansas | 45% | 70% | 90% | 60% | 93% | 100% | 66% | 75% |
| Olympia Snowe (R) | Maine | 55% | 60% | 90% | 80% | 80% | 100% | 58% | 75% |
| Joe Biden (D) | Delaware | 88% | 75% | 50% | 67% | N/A | 75% | 90% | 74% |
| Blanche Lincoln (D) | Arkansas | 40% | 90% | 80% | 67% | 93% | 60% | 91% | 74% |
| Susan Collins (R) | Maine | 45% | 55% | 90% | 100% | 67% | 100% | 50% | 72% |
| Mary Landrieu (D) | Louisiana | 55% | 80% | 80% | 53% | 93% | 65% | 66% | 70% |
| Ben Nelson (D) | Nebraska | 45% | 75% | 90% | 67% | 80% | 25% | 83% | 66% |
| Arlen Specter (R) | Pennsylvania | 36% | 60% | 70% | 60% | 73% | 100% | 41% | 63% |
| Tim Johnson (D) | South Dakota | 43% | 40% | 50% | 33% | 33% | 90% | 100% | 56% |
| Gordon Smith (R) | Oregon | 36% | 55% | 70% | 73% | 53% | 40% | 50% | 54% |
| Richard Lugar (R) | Indiana | 30% | 45% | 80% | 53% | 47% | 40% | 50% | 49% |
| Norm Coleman (R) | Minnesota | 18% | 50% | 80% | 33% | 67% | 0% | 63% | 44% |
| Lisa Murkowski (R) | Alaska | 27% | 30% | 60% | 40% | 53% | 75% | 25% | 44% |
| Ted Stevens (R) | Alaska | 18% | 25% | 70% | 27% | 33% | 75% | 25% | 39% |
| John Warner (R) | Virginia | 27% | 35% | 60% | 47% | 33% | 40% | 25% | 38% |
| Craig Thomas (R) (d. 2007) | Wyoming | 100% | N/A | 50% | 0% | 20% | N/A | 0% | 34% |
| Orrin Hatch (R) | Utah | 18% | 30% | 70% | 13% | 53% | 0% | 45% | 33% |
| John Sununu (R) | New Hampshire | 36% | 15% | 60% | 53% | 40% | 0% | 25% | 33% |
| Charles Grassley (R) | Iowa | 18% | 30% | 60% | 33% | 47% | 0% | 25% | 30% |
| George Voinovich (R) | Ohio | 27% | 25% | 50% | 20% | 53% | 0% | 16% | 27% |
| Lamar Alexander (R) | Tennessee | 20% | 20% | 60% | 33% | 33% | 0% | 16% | 26% |
| Bob Corker (GOP | Tennessee | 9% | 20% | 60% | 27% | 33% | 0% | 25% | 25% |
| Pete Domenici (R) | New Mexico | 9% | 25% | 60% | 20% | 47% | 0% | 16% | 25% |
| Chuck Hagel (R) | Nebraska | 27% | 30% | 40% | 20% | 20% | 0% | 41% | 25% |
| Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) | Texas | 9% | 20% | 70% | 7% | 40% | 0% | 25% | 24% |
| Kit Bond (R) | Missouri | 9% | 25% | 50% | 0% | 27% | 25% | 16% | 22% |
| Trent Lott (R) (resigned) | Mississippi | 17% | 15% | 50% | N/A | N/A | 0% | 16% | 20% |
| Robert Bennett (R) | Utah | 9% | 15% | 50% | 7% | 33% | 0% | 25% | 20% |
| Judd Gregg (R) | New Hampshire | 20% | 10% | 30% | 60% | 13% | 0% | 8% | 20% |
| John Thune (R) | South Dakota | 9% | 20% | 40% | 33% | 27% | 0% | 8% | 20% |
| Larry Craig (R) | Idaho | 22% | 15% | 50% | 13% | 13% | 0% | 16% | 18% |
| John Barrasso (R) | Wyoming | N/A | 10% | 33% | 33% | N/A | 0% | 0% | 15% |
| Mel Martinez (R) | Florida | 9% | 20% | 50% | 13% | 13% | 0% | 16% | 17% |
| Richard Shelby (R) | Alabama | 18% | 20% | 40% | 7% | 27% | 0% | 8% | 17% |
| Elizabeth Dole (R) | North Carolina | 18% | 15% | 40% | 7% | 27% | 0% | 8% | 16% |
| Pat Roberts (R) | Kansas | 9% | 20% | 40% | 0% | 27% | 0% | 16% | 16% |
| Jeff Sessions (R) | Alabama | 18% | 10% | 40% | 13% | 20% | 0% | 8% | 16% |
| Saxby Chambliss (R) | Georgia | 10% | 10% | 40% | 7% | 27% | 0% | 8% | 15% |
| Jim Bunning (R) | Kentucky | 20% | 10% | 30% | 7% | 13% | 0% | 16% | 14% |
| Thad Cochran (R) | Mississippi | 9% | 15% | 50% | 0% | 27% | 0% | 0% | 14% |
| Mike Crapo (GOP | Idaho | 18% | 15% | 30% | 13% | 20% | 0% | 0% | 14% |
| John Ensign (R) | Nevada | 9% | 0% | 40% | 33% | 7% | 0% | 8% | 14% |
| Lindsey Graham (R) | South Carolina | 14% | 20% | 30% | 7% | 20% | 0% | 9% | 14% |
| Johnny Isakson (R) | Georgia | 9% | 10% | 40% | 7% | 27% | 0% | 8% | 14% |
| Michael Enzi (R) | Wyoming | 18% | 10% | 40% | 13% | N/A | 0% | 0% | 14% |
| Mitch McConnell (R) | Kentucky | 9% | 10% | 30% | 7% | 27% | 0% | 8% | 13% |
| Sam Brownback (R) | Kansas | 0% | 5% | 40% | 7% | N/A | 0% | 12% | 11% |
| Wayne Allard (R) | Colorado | 9% | 10% | 30% | 20% | 7% | 0% | 0% | 11% |
| John Cornyn (R) | Texas | 9% | 15% | 40% | 0% | 13% | 0% | 0% | 11% |
| Richard Burr (R) | North Carolina | 9% | 0% | 30% | 7% | 13% | 0% | 8% | 10% |
| David Vitter (R) | Louisiana | 18% | 10% | 20% | 0% | 13% | 0% | 9% | 10% |
| Jon Kyl (R) | Arizona | 9% | 5% | 30% | 13% | 0% | 0% | 8% | 9% |
| John McCain (R) | Arizona | 17% | 10% | 10% | 0% | N/A | 0% | 14% | 9% |
| Tom Coburn (R) | Oklahoma | 18% | 5% | 20% | 7% | 0% | 0% | 8% | 8% |
| Jim DeMint (R) | South Carolina | 18% | 0% | 20% | 7% | 0% | 0% | 8% | 8% |
| James Inhofe (R) | Oklahoma | 18% | 10% | 20% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 8% | 8% |
| Roger Wicker (R) | Mississippi | 0% | N/A | 20% | 5% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3% |
Back to the main page.