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Special Interest Groups

Interest Group Ratings

Rating Group: Children's Defense Fund

2000 Positions

State Office District Name Party Rating
AK U.S. House At-Large Don Young Republican 50%
AL U.S. Senate Sr Richard Shelby Republican 30%
AL U.S. Senate Jr Jeff Sessions III Republican 20%
AL U.S. House 4 Robert Aderholt Republican 50%
AL U.S. House 6 Spencer Bachus Republican 50%
AZ U.S. Senate Sr John McCain III Republican 10%
AZ U.S. Senate Jr Jon Kyl Republican 30%
AZ U.S. House 4 Edward Pastor Democratic 100%
CA U.S. Senate Sr Dianne Feinstein Democratic 90%
CA U.S. Senate Jr Barbara Boxer Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 1 Mike Thompson Democratic 80%
CA U.S. House 2 Wally Herger, Jr. Republican 40%
CA U.S. House 6 Lynn Woolsey Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 7 George Miller Democratic 90%
CA U.S. House 8 Nancy Pelosi Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 9 Barbara Lee Democratic 90%
CA U.S. House 13 Pete Stark Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 14 Anna Eshoo Democratic 80%
CA U.S. House 16 Zoe Lofgren Democratic 80%
CA U.S. House 17 Sam Farr Democratic 90%
CA U.S. House 23 Lois Capps Democratic 90%
CA U.S. House 24 Elton Gallegly Republican 50%
CA U.S. House 25 Buck McKeon Republican 50%
CA U.S. House 26 David Dreier Republican 40%
CA U.S. House 27 Brad Sherman Democratic 90%
CA U.S. House 28 Howard Berman Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 30 Henry Waxman Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 31 Xavier Becerra Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 34 Lucille Roybal-Allard Democratic 80%
CA U.S. House 35 Maxine Waters Democratic 80%
CA U.S. House 38 Grace Napolitano Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 40 Ed Royce Republican 40%
CA U.S. House 41 Jerry Lewis Republican 50%
CA U.S. House 42 Gary Miller Republican 30%
CA U.S. House 43 Joe Baca, Sr. Democratic 70%
CA U.S. House 44 Ken Calvert Republican 50%
CA U.S. House 45 Mary Bono Mack Republican 40%
CA U.S. House 46 Dana Rohrabacher Republican 40%
CA U.S. House 47 Loretta Sanchez Democratic 80%
CA U.S. House 51 Bob Filner Democratic 100%
CO U.S. Senate Sr Mark Udall Democratic 90%
CO U.S. House 1 Diana DeGette Democratic 100%
CO State Board of Education 4 Robert Schaffer Republican 50%
CT U.S. Senate Sr Joe Lieberman Independent Democrat 100%
CT U.S. House 1 John Larson Democratic 90%
CT U.S. House 3 Rosa DeLauro Democratic 100%
FL U.S. House 3 Corrine Brown Democratic 80%
FL U.S. House 6 Cliff Stearns Republican 40%
FL U.S. House 7 John Mica Republican 40%
FL U.S. House 10 Bill Young Republican 50%
FL U.S. House 18 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Republican 60%
FL U.S. House 23 Alcee Hastings, Sr. Democratic 80%
GA U.S. Senate Sr Saxby Chambliss Republican 30%
GA U.S. Senate Jr Johnny Isakson Republican 50%
GA U.S. House 1 Jack Kingston Republican 50%
GA U.S. House 2 Sanford Bishop, Jr. Democratic 70%
GA U.S. House 5 John Lewis Democratic 90%
GA Governor Nathan Deal Republican 50%
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic 60%
HI U.S. Senate Jr Daniel Akaka, Sr. Democratic 100%
HI Governor Neil Abercrombie Democratic 90%
IA U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Grassley Republican 30%
IA U.S. Senate Jr Tom Harkin Democratic 100%
IA U.S. House 3 Leonard Boswell Democratic 70%
IA U.S. House 4 Tom Latham Republican 50%
ID U.S. Senate Sr Mike Crapo Republican 30%
ID U.S. House 2 Mike Simpson Republican 40%
IL U.S. Senate Sr Dick Durbin Democratic 100%
IL U.S. House 1 Bobby Rush Democratic 90%
IL U.S. House 2 Jesse Jackson, Jr. Democratic 80%
IL U.S. House 4 Luis Gutierrez Democratic 100%
IL U.S. House 7 Danny Davis Democratic 90%
IL U.S. House 9 Jan Schakowsky Democratic 100%
IL U.S. House 12 Jerry Costello Democratic 80%
IL U.S. House 13 Judy Biggert Republican 50%
IL U.S. House 16 Don Manzullo Republican 30%
IL U.S. House 19 John Shimkus Republican 50%
IN U.S. Senate Sr Dick Lugar Republican 40%
IN U.S. House 1 Pete Visclosky Democratic 100%
IN U.S. House 5 Dan Burton Republican 30%
KS U.S. Senate Sr Pat Roberts Republican 30%
KS U.S. Senate Jr Jerry Moran Republican 40%
KS Governor Sam Brownback Republican 30%
KY U.S. Senate Sr Mitch McConnell Republican 30%
KY U.S. House 1 Ed Whitfield Republican 60%
KY U.S. House 5 Hal Rogers Republican 50%
KY Commissioner of the Department of Veterans' Affairs Kenneth Lucas Democratic 60%
LA U.S. Senate Sr Mary Landrieu Democratic 90%
LA U.S. Senate Jr David Vitter Republican 40%
MA U.S. Senate Sr John Kerry Democratic 90%
MA U.S. House 1 John Olver Democratic 100%
MA U.S. House 2 Richard Neal Democratic 90%
MA U.S. House 3 Jim McGovern Democratic 90%
MA U.S. House 4 Barney Frank Democratic 90%
MA U.S. House 6 John Tierney Democratic 100%
MA U.S. House 7 Ed Markey Democratic 70%
MA U.S. House 8 Mike Capuano Democratic 100%
MD U.S. Senate Sr Barbara Mikulski Democratic 100%
MD U.S. Senate Jr Ben Cardin Democratic 90%
MD U.S. House 5 Steny Hoyer Democratic 90%
MD U.S. House 6 Roscoe Bartlett Republican 40%
MD U.S. House 7 Elijah Cummings Democratic 80%
ME U.S. Senate Sr Olympia Snowe Republican 80%
ME U.S. Senate Jr Susan Collins Republican 60%
MI U.S. Senate Sr Carl Levin Democratic 100%
MI U.S. House 4 Dave Camp Republican 60%
MI U.S. House 5 Dale Kildee Democratic 100%
MI U.S. House 6 Fred Upton Republican 70%
MI U.S. House 12 Sandy Levin Democratic 100%
MI U.S. House 14 John Conyers, Jr. Democratic 80%
MI U.S. House 15 John Dingell Democratic 90%
MN U.S. House 7 Collin Peterson Democratic/Farmer/Labor 70%
MO U.S. Senate Jr Roy Blunt Republican 40%
MO U.S. House 1 Lacy Clay, Jr. Democratic 70%
MO U.S. House 8 Jo Ann Emerson Republican 40%
MS U.S. Senate Sr Thad Cochran Republican 30%
MS U.S. Senate Jr Roger Wicker Republican 50%
MS U.S. House 2 Bennie Thompson Democratic 90%
MT U.S. Senate Sr Max Baucus Democratic 100%
NA Vice President Joe Biden, Jr. Democratic 100%
NA U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood Republican 60%
NC U.S. Senate Sr Richard Burr Republican 40%
NC U.S. House 3 Walter Jones, Jr. Republican 30%
NC U.S. House 4 David Price Democratic 90%
NC U.S. House 6 Howard Coble Republican 40%
NC U.S. House 7 Mike McIntyre Democratic 70%
NC U.S. House 9 Sue Myrick Republican 40%
NC U.S. House 12 Mel Watt Democratic 80%
ND U.S. Senate Sr Kent Conrad Democratic-NPL 100%
NE U.S. House 2 Lee Terry Republican 40%
NH U.S. House 2 Charlie Bass Republican 40%
NJ U.S. Senate Jr Bob Menendez Democratic 100%
NJ U.S. House 1 Rob Andrews Democratic 80%
NJ U.S. House 2 Frank LoBiondo Republican 70%
NJ U.S. House 4 Chris Smith Republican 80%
NJ U.S. House 6 Frank Pallone, Jr. Democratic 90%
NJ U.S. House 8 Bill Pascrell, Jr. Democratic 90%
NJ U.S. House 9 Steve Rothman Democratic 90%
NJ U.S. House 11 Rodney Frelinghuysen Republican 70%
NJ U.S. House 12 Rush Holt, Jr. Democratic 90%
NM U.S. Senate Sr Jeff Bingaman Democratic 100%
NM U.S. Senate Jr Thomas Udall Democratic 100%
NV U.S. Senate Sr Harry Reid Democratic 100%
NV U.S. House 1 Shelley Berkley Democratic 90%
NY U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Schumer Democratic 100%
NY U.S. House 3 Pete King Republican 70%
NY U.S. House 4 Carolyn McCarthy Democratic 80%
NY U.S. House 5 Gary Ackerman Democratic 90%
NY U.S. House 6 Gregory Meeks Democratic 80%
NY U.S. House 7 Joe Crowley Democratic 100%
NY U.S. House 8 Jerry Nadler Democratic 100%
NY U.S. House 10 Ed Towns Democratic 80%
NY U.S. House 12 Nydia Velázquez Democratic 90%
NY U.S. House 14 Carolyn Maloney Democratic 100%
NY U.S. House 15 Charlie Rangel Democratic 80%
NY U.S. House 16 José Serrano Democratic 80%
NY U.S. House 17 Eliot Engel Democratic 90%
NY U.S. House 18 Nita Lowey Democratic 100%
NY U.S. House 22 Maurice Hinchey Democratic 100%
NY U.S. House 28 Louise Slaughter Democratic 90%
OH U.S. Senate Sr Sherrod Brown Democratic 80%
OH U.S. Senate Jr Rob Portman Republican 40%
OH U.S. House 1 Steve Chabot Republican 50%
OH U.S. House 8 John Boehner Republican 40%
OH U.S. House 9 Marcy Kaptur Democratic 90%
OH U.S. House 10 Dennis Kucinich Democratic 90%
OH U.S. House 14 Steve LaTourette Republican 50%
OH State Senate 28 Thomas Sawyer Democratic 90%
OH Attorney General Michael DeWine Republican 40%
OK U.S. Senate Sr Jim Inhofe Republican 10%
OK U.S. House 3 Frank Lucas Republican 50%
OR U.S. Senate Sr Ron Wyden Democratic 90%
OR U.S. House 2 Greg Walden Republican 40%
OR U.S. House 3 Earl Blumenauer Democratic 90%
OR U.S. House 4 Peter DeFazio Democratic 90%
PA U.S. Senate Jr Pat Toomey Republican 40%
PA U.S. House 1 Bob Brady Democratic 100%
PA U.S. House 2 Chaka Fattah, Sr. Democratic 80%
PA U.S. House 14 Mike Doyle, Jr. Democratic 90%
PA U.S. House 16 Joe Pitts Republican 40%
PA U.S. House 17 Thomas Holden Democratic 80%
PA Commissioner At-Large Joseph Hoeffel 100%
RI U.S. Senate Sr Jack Reed Democratic 100%
RI Governor Linc Chafee Independent 100%
SC U.S. Senate Sr Lindsey Graham Republican 20%
SC U.S. Senate Jr James DeMint Republican 30%
SC U.S. House 6 Jim Clyburn Democratic 80%
SD U.S. Senate Sr Timothy Johnson Democratic 100%
SD U.S. Senate Jr John Thune Republican 60%
TN U.S. House 2 John Duncan, Jr. Republican 50%
TX U.S. Senate Sr Kay Hutchison Republican 30%
TX U.S. House 3 Sam Johnson Republican 40%
TX U.S. House 4 Ralph Hall Republican 60%
TX U.S. House 6 Joe Barton Republican 30%
TX U.S. House 8 Kevin Brady Republican 40%
TX U.S. House 12 Kay Granger Republican 50%
TX U.S. House 13 Mac Thornberry Republican 40%
TX U.S. House 14 Ron Paul Republican 0%
TX U.S. House 15 Rubén Hinojosa-Flores, Sr. Democratic 80%
TX U.S. House 16 Silvestre Reyes Democratic 90%
TX U.S. House 18 Sheila Jackson Lee Democratic 80%
TX U.S. House 20 Charlie Gonzalez Democratic 90%
TX U.S. House 21 Lamar Smith Republican 40%
TX U.S. House 25 Lloyd Doggett Democratic 90%
TX U.S. House 29 Gene Green Democratic 80%
TX U.S. House 30 Eddie Johnson Democratic 70%
TX U.S. House 32 Pete Sessions Republican 40%
UT U.S. Senate Sr Orrin Hatch Republican 30%
VA U.S. House 3 Bobby Scott Democratic 70%
VA U.S. House 6 Bob Goodlatte Republican 40%
VA U.S. House 8 Jim Moran, Jr. Democratic 80%
VA U.S. House 10 Frank Wolf Republican 50%
VT U.S. Senate Sr Patrick Leahy Democratic 100%
VT U.S. Senate Jr Bernie Sanders Independent 100%
WA U.S. Senate Sr Patty Murray Democratic 80%
WA U.S. House 4 Richard Hastings Republican 40%
WA U.S. House 6 Norm Dicks Democratic 90%
WA U.S. House 7 Jim McDermott Democratic 80%
WA U.S. House 9 Adam Smith Democratic 70%
WI U.S. Senate Sr Herb Kohl Democratic 100%
WI U.S. House 1 Paul Ryan Republican 50%
WI U.S. House 2 Tammy Baldwin Democratic 100%
WI U.S. House 3 Ron Kind Democratic 90%
WI U.S. House 5 Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. Republican 40%
WI U.S. House 6 Tom Petri Republican 50%
WI Mayor At-Large Tom Barrett Democratic 100%
WV U.S. Senate Sr Jay Rockefeller IV Democratic 100%
WV U.S. House 3 Nick Rahall II Democratic 80%
WY U.S. Senate Sr Mike Enzi Republican 20%
Wayne Allard 30%
Thomas Allen 90%
Richard Armey 40%
Brian Baird 80%
Richard Hugh Baker 40%
John Baldacci 90%
Cass Ballenger 40%
James Barcia 70%
Robert Barr, Jr. 40%
Evan Bayh 100%
Bob Bennett 30%
Kenneth Bentsen, Jr. 90%
Douglas Bereuter 50%
Marion Berry 70%
Michael Bilirakis 50%
Rod Blagojevich 90%
Sherwood Boehlert 70%
Kit Bond 20%
Henry Bonilla 50%
David Edward Bonior 100%
Robert Borski, Jr. 90%
Rick Boucher 70%
Allen Boyd, Jr. 60%
John Breaux 90%
Ed Bryant 50%
Jim Bunning 20%
Conrad Burns 30%
Steve Buyer 40%
Robert Byrd 100%
Herbert Callahan 50%
Ben Campbell 30%
Chris Cannon 30%
Julia Carson 90%
Mike Castle 70%
Eva Clayton 80%
Joseph Maxwell Cleland 90%
Robert Clement 70%
Mac Collins 40%
Larry Combest 40%
Gary Condit 80%
John Cooksey 50%
Christopher Cox 40%
William Coyne 100%
Larry Craig 20%
Robert Cramer 70%
Philip Crane 40%
Barbara Cubin 40%
Randall Cunningham 50%
Thomas Daschle 90%
James Davis 90%
Thomas Davis III 60%
Bill Delahunt 90%
Thomas DeLay 40%
Peter Deutsch 80%
Lincoln Diaz-Balart 60%
Chris Dodd 100%
Pete Domenici, Jr. 30%
Calvin Dooley 90%
John Doolittle 40%
Byron Dorgan 100%
Jennifer Dunn 60%
John Edwards 100%
Chet Edwards 90%
Vern Ehlers 70%
Bob Ehrlich, Jr. 40%
Philip English 70%
Bob Etheridge 80%
Lane Evans 100%
Terry Everett 30%
Russ Feingold 100%
Peter Fitzgerald 40%
Ernest Fletcher 50%
Mark Foley 60%
Harold Ford, Jr. 90%
Vito Fossella, Jr. 60%
William Frist 30%
Jonas Frost III 90%
John Ganske 60%
George Gekas 40%
Richard Andrew Gephardt 90%
Jim Gibbons 50%
Wayne Gilchrest 70%
Paul Gillmor 40%
Benjamin Gilman 60%
Virgil Goode, Jr. 40%
Bart Gordon 60%
Porter Goss 50%
Daniel Graham 100%
William Phillip Gramm 20%
Mark Green 50%
James Greenwood 70%
Judd Gregg 20%
Gilbert Gutknecht 50%
Charles Hagel 30%
Tony Hall 90%
James Hansen 40%
J. Dennis Hastert 20%
Robert Hayes 50%
J.D. Hayworth, Jr. 40%
Joel Hefley 50%
Jesse Helms 10%
Baron Hill 80%
Van Hilleary 50%
Earl Hilliard, Jr. 90%
David Lee Hobson 60%
Pete Hoekstra 40%
Ernest Hollings 100%
Darlene Hooley 80%
Stephen Horn 60%
John Nathan Hostettler 20%
Amory Houghton, Jr. 70%
Kenny Hulshof 40%
Duncan Hunter 40%
William Hutchinson 50%
Y. Tim Hutchinson 30%
Henry Hyde 70%
Jay Inslee 80%
Ernest Istook, Jr. 40%
William Jefferson 70%
James Merrill Jeffords 90%
William Lewis Jenkins 40%
Christopher John 60%
Nancy Johnson 70%
Paul Kanjorski 80%
Sue Kelly 40%
Edward Kennedy, Sr. 100%
Patrick Kennedy 100%
Carolyn Kilpatrick 90%
Gerald Kleczka 90%
Joseph Knollenberg 50%
James Kolbe 50%
John LaFalce 100%
Nicholas Lampson 70%
Tom Lantos 90%
Stephen Largent 40%
James Leach 70%
Ron Lewis 50%
Blanche Lincoln 90%
John Linder 50%
William Lipinski 80%
Trent Lott, Sr. 30%
William Luther 100%
James Maloney 70%
Frank Mascara 80%
Robert Matsui 90%
Karen McCarthy 90%
James McCrery III 50%
John McHugh 70%
Scott McInnis 40%
Cynthia Ann McKinney 90%
Michael McNulty 90%
Martin Meehan 100%
Carrie Meek 90%
Juanita Millender-McDonald 100%
Dan Miller 40%
Patsy Takemoto Mink 90%
John Moakley 90%
Alan Mollohan 70%
Dennis Moore 80%
Constance Morella 80%
Frank Murkowski 30%
Jack Murtha 80%
George Nethercutt, Jr. 40%
Robert William Ney 60%
Don Nickles 10%
Anne Northup 60%
Charles Norwood, Jr. 40%
James Nussle 50%
Jim Oberstar 100%
Dave Obey 100%
Solomon Ortiz, Sr. 80%
Doug Ose 50%
Major Owens 90%
Michael Oxley 40%
Donald Payne 80%
John Peterson 50%
David Phelps 80%
Charles Pickering, Jr. 40%
Richard Pombo 50%
Earl Pomeroy 100%
Deborah Pryce 60%
Jack Quinn 80%
George Radanovich 30%
James Ramstad 60%
Ralph Regula 60%
Thomas Reynolds 50%
Bob Riley 40%
Lynn Nancy Rivers 80%
Ciro Rodriguez 90%
Timothy Roemer 90%
Marge Roukema 60%
Jim Ryun 40%
Martin Olav Sabo 100%
Max Sandlin, Jr. 60%
Rick Santorum 30%
Paul Sarbanes 100%
H. James Saxton 60%
Joe Scarborough 40%
John Shadegg 30%
E. Clay Shaw, Jr. 50%
Christopher Shays 80%
Donald Sherwood 60%
Ronnie Shows 70%
Joseph Skeen 50%
Ike Skelton 70%
Gordon Smith 50%
Nick Smith 30%
Bob Smith 0%
Vic Snyder 90%
Mark Souder 40%
Arlen Specter 50%
Floyd Spence 50%
John Spratt, Jr. 90%
Charles Stenholm 70%
Ted Stevens 30%
Ted Strickland 90%
Robert Stump 40%
Bart Stupak 100%
John Sununu 40%
John Sweeney 50%
Tom Tancredo 50%
John Tanner 70%
Ellen Tauscher 80%
William Tauzin 40%
Charles Taylor 40%
Gene Taylor 70%
Craig Thomas 10%
William Thomas 50%
Fred Thompson 0%
Karen Thurman 90%
Strom Thurmond 30%
Todd Tiahrt 30%
Robert Torricelli 90%
James Traficant, Jr. 60%
Stephanie Tubbs Jones 70%
James Turner 70%
George Voinovich 10%
James Walsh 70%
Zach Wamp 40%
John Warner 30%
Wesley Watkins 40%
Julius Caesar Watts, Jr. 40%
Anthony Weiner 100%
David Weldon 40%
W. Curtis Weldon 50%
Gerald Weller 70%
Paul Wellstone 100%
Robert Wexler 90%
Heather Wilson 80%
David Wu 90%
Albert Wynn 60%

How to Interpret these Evaluations

Keep in mind that ratings done by special interest groups often do not represent a non-partisan stance. In addition, some groups select votes that tend to favor members of one political party over another, rather than choosing votes based solely on issues concerns. Nevertheless, they can be invaluable in showing where an incumbent has stood on a series of votes in the past one or two years, especially when ratings by groups on all sides of an issue are compared. Website links, if available, and descriptions of the organizations offering performance evaluations are accessible by clicking on the name of the group.

Most performance evaluations are displayed in a percentage format. However, some organizations present their ratings in the form of a letter grade or endorsement based on voting records, interviews, survey results and/or sources of campaign funding. For consistency and ease in understanding, Project Vote Smart converts all scores into a percentage when possible. Please visit the group's website or call 1-888-VOTESMART for more specific information.

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