or Login to see your representatives.

Access Candidates' and Representatives' Biographies, Voting Records, Interest Group Ratings, Issue Positions, Public Statements, and Campaign Finances

Simply enter your zip code above to get to all of your candidates and representatives, or enter a name. Then, just click on the person you are interested in, and you can navigate to the categories of information we track for them.

Special Interest Groups

Rating Group: Children's Defense Fund

1996 Positions

State Office District Name Party Rating
HI Governor Neil Abercrombie Democratic 93%
Edmond Spencer Abraham 20%
Gary Ackerman 86%
Daniel Akaka, Sr. 100%
Wayne Allard 0%
NJ U.S. House 1 Rob Andrews Democratic 79%
Bill Archer 0%
Richard Armey 0%
John Ashcroft 13%
AL U.S. House 6 Spencer Bachus Republican 7%
Henry Scott Baesler 71%
Richard Hugh Baker 0%
William Baker 9%
John Baldacci 71%
Cass Ballenger 0%
James Barcia 71%
Robert Barr, Jr. 0%
WI Mayor At-Large Tom Barrett Democratic 100%
Bill Barrett 0%
Roscoe Bartlett 0%
TX U.S. House 6 Joe Barton Republican 7%
Charlie Bass 0%
Herbert Bateman 7%
MT U.S. Senate Sr Max Baucus Democratic 80%
CA U.S. House 34 Xavier Becerra Democratic 93%
Anthony Beilenson 100%
Bob Bennett 20%
Kenneth Bentsen, Jr. 79%
Douglas Bereuter 14%
Howard Berman 86%
Tom Bevill 91%
NA Vice President Joe Biden, Jr. Democratic 73%
Brian Bilbray 29%
Michael Bilirakis 7%
Jeff Bingaman 93%
GA U.S. House 2 Sanford Bishop, Jr. Democratic 71%
Thomas Bliley, Jr. 0%
OR U.S. House 3 Earl Blumenauer Democratic 86%
Peter Blute 36%
Sherwood Boehlert 43%
OH U.S. House 8 John Boehner Republican 0%
Kit Bond 13%
Henry Bonilla 0%
David Edward Bonior 100%
Sonny Bono 7%
Robert Borski, Jr. 86%
Rick Boucher 79%
CA U.S. Senate Jr Barbara Boxer Democratic 100%
Bill Bradley 94%
John Breaux 67%
Bill Brewster 36%
Glen Browder 82%
FL U.S. House 5 Corrine Brown Democratic 93%
George Brown, Jr. 93%
Hank Brown 6%
OH U.S. Senate Sr Sherrod Brown Democratic 100%
KS Governor Sam Brownback Republican 0%
Richard Bryan 80%
Ed Bryant 0%
John Bryant 73%
Dale Bumpers 93%
Jim Bunn 36%
Jim Bunning 0%
Conrad Burns 20%
NC U.S. Senate Sr Richard Burr Republican 0%
Dan Burton 0%
Steve Buyer 7%
Robert Byrd 73%
Herbert Callahan 0%
CA U.S. House 42 Ken Calvert Republican 0%
MI U.S. House 4 Dave Camp Republican 7%
Ben Campbell 40%
Thomas Campbell 29%
FL Justice of the Supreme Court Charles Canady 14%
MD U.S. Senate Jr Ben Cardin Democratic 71%
Mike Castle 29%
OH U.S. House 1 Steve Chabot Republican 0%
John Chafee 33%
GA U.S. Senate Sr Saxby Chambliss Republican 0%
Jim Chapman 73%
Helen Chenoweth-Hage 0%
Jon Lynn Christensen 0%
Dick Chrysler 0%
William Clay, Sr. 86%
Eva Clayton 100%
Robert Clement 64%
William Clinger 18%
SC U.S. House 6 Jim Clyburn Democratic 93%
IN U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Coats Republican 13%
NC U.S. House 6 Howard Coble Republican 0%
OK U.S. Senate Jr Thomas Coburn Republican 7%
MS U.S. Senate Sr Thad Cochran Republican 20%
William Cohen 33%
Ronald Coleman 100%
Barbara-Rose Collins 100%
Cardiss Collins 82%
Michael Collins 0%
Larry Combest 0%
Gary Condit 43%
Kent Conrad 87%
MI U.S. House 13 John Conyers, Jr. Democratic 100%
Wes Cooley 9%
Jerry Costello 71%
Paul Coverdell 20%
Christopher Cox 0%
William Coyne 100%
Larry Craig 13%
Robert Cramer 57%
Philip Crane 0%
ID U.S. Senate Sr Mike Crapo Republican 0%
Frank Arnold Cremeans 9%
Barbara Cubin 0%
MD U.S. House 7 Elijah Cummings Democratic 100%
Randall Cunningham 0%
Alfonse D'Amato 27%
Patsy Ann Danner 64%
Thomas Daschle 93%
Thomas Davis III 14%
GA Governor Nathan Deal Republican 7%
OR U.S. House 4 Peter DeFazio Democratic 93%
E. Kika de la Garza 91%
CT U.S. House 3 Rosa DeLauro Democratic 93%
Thomas DeLay 0%
Ronald Dellums 100%
Peter Deutsch 57%
OH Attorney General Michael DeWine Republican 20%
Lincoln Diaz-Balart 29%
Jay Dickey 0%
Norm Dicks 79%
MI U.S. House 12 John Dingell Democratic 86%
Julian Dixon 93%
Chris Dodd 87%
TX U.S. House 35 Lloyd Doggett Democratic 79%
Robert Dole 11%
Pete Domenici, Jr. 20%
Calvin Dooley 71%
John Doolittle 0%
Byron Dorgan 87%
Robert Dornan 0%
PA U.S. House 14 Mike Doyle, Jr. Democratic 71%
David Dreier 0%
TN U.S. House 2 John Duncan, Jr. Republican 29%
Jennifer Dunn 0%
IL U.S. Senate Sr Dick Durbin Democratic 79%
Chet Edwards 71%
Vern Ehlers 7%
Bob Ehrlich, Jr. 0%
Bill Emerson 9%
NY U.S. House 16 Eliot Engel Democratic 100%
Philip English 21%
John Ensign 14%
CA U.S. House 18 Anna Eshoo Democratic 86%
Lane Evans 100%
Terry Everett 0%
Thomas Ewing 0%
Jim Exon 83%
Duncan McLauchlin Faircloth 20%
CA U.S. House 20 Sam Farr Democratic 93%
PA U.S. House 2 Chaka Fattah, Sr. Democratic 100%
Harris Fawell 7%
Victor Fazio 79%
Russ Feingold 87%
CA U.S. Senate Sr Dianne Feinstein Democratic 100%
Cleo Fields 82%
Jack Fields, Jr. 0%
CA Mayor At-Large Bob Filner Democratic 100%
Floyd Flake 93%
Michael Patrick Flanagan 27%
Thomas Foglietta 100%
Mark Foley 7%
Michael Patrick Forbes 14%
Harold Ford, Sr. 91%
Wendell Ford 80%
Tillie Fowler 0%
Jon David Fox 36%
Barney Frank 100%
Gary Franks 27%
Robert Franks 29%
NJ U.S. House 11 Rodney Frelinghuysen Republican 21%
Dan Frisa 9%
William Frist 13%
Jonas Frost III 71%
David Funderburk 9%
Elizabeth Furse 79%
Elton Gallegly 0%
John Ganske 21%
Sam Gejdenson 79%
George Gekas 0%
Richard Andrew Gephardt 93%
Pete Geren 27%
Sam Gibbons 91%
Wayne Gilchrest 21%
Paul Gillmor 7%
Benjamin Gilman 57%
Newt Gingrich 0%
John Glenn 100%
Henry Gonzalez 100%
VA U.S. House 6 Bob Goodlatte Republican 0%
William Goodling 0%
Bart Gordon 50%
Slade Gorton 13%
Porter Goss 0%
Daniel Graham 80%
SC U.S. Senate Sr Lindsey Graham Republican 0%
William Phillip Gramm 13%
Rodney Grams 13%
IA U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Grassley Republican 20%
TX U.S. House 29 Gene Green Democratic 79%
Enid Greene 9%
James Greenwood 21%
Judd Gregg 13%
Steven Gunderson 18%
IL U.S. House 4 Luis Gutierrez Democratic 100%
Gilbert Gutknecht 0%
TX U.S. House 4 Ralph Hall Republican 14%
Tony Hall 79%
Lee Hamilton 57%
Melton Hancock 0%
James Hansen 0%
IA U.S. Senate Jr Tom Harkin Democratic 80%
Jane Harman 64%
J. Dennis Hastert 0%
FL U.S. House 20 Alcee Hastings, Sr. Democratic 86%
WA U.S. House 4 Doc Hastings Republican 0%
UT U.S. Senate Sr Orrin Hatch Republican 20%
Mark Hatfield 44%
James Hayes 45%
J.D. Hayworth, Jr. 0%
Joel Hefley 0%
W.G. Hefner 71%
Fredrick Kenneth Fred' Heineman 18%
Jesse Helms 20%
Wally Herger, Jr. 0%
Van Hilleary 14%
Earl Hilliard, Jr. 93%
Maurice Hinchey 93%
David Lee Hobson 7%
Pete Hoekstra 0%
Martin Hoke 0%
Thomas Holden 64%
Ernest Hollings 80%
Stephen Horn 14%
John Nathan Hostettler 0%
Amory Houghton, Jr. 29%
MD U.S. House 5 Steny Hoyer Democratic 79%
Duncan Hunter 0%
Y. Tim Hutchinson 0%
Kay Hutchison 20%
Henry Hyde 7%
Bob Inglis, Sr. 0%
OK U.S. Senate Sr Jim Inhofe Republican 13%
Daniel Inouye 87%
Ernest Istook, Jr. 0%
Jesse Jackson, Jr. 100%
TX U.S. House 18 Sheila Jackson Lee Democratic 93%
Andrew Jacobs, Jr. 91%
William Jefferson 93%
James Merrill Jeffords 60%
TX U.S. House 30 Eddie Johnson Democratic 93%
Nancy Johnson 14%
TX U.S. House 3 Sam Johnson Republican 0%
SD U.S. Senate Sr Timothy Johnson Democratic 57%
Harry Johnston 91%
J. Bennett Johnston 83%
NC U.S. House 3 Walter Jones, Jr. Republican 0%
Paul Kanjorski 64%
OH U.S. House 9 Marcy Kaptur Democratic 79%
OH Governor John Kasich Republican 7%
Nancy Landon Kassebaum 22%
Sue Kelly 14%
Dirk Kempthorne 13%
Edward Kennedy, Sr. 93%
Joseph Kennedy II 93%
Patrick Kennedy 100%
Barbara Bailey Kennelly 79%
Bob Kerrey 87%
NA U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Democratic 87%
Dale Kildee 93%
Jay Kim 0%
NY U.S. House 2 Pete King Republican 14%
GA U.S. House 1 Jack Kingston Republican 0%
Gerald Kleczka 79%
Ronald Klink 79%
Scott Klug 14%
Joseph Knollenberg 0%
Herb Kohl 73%
James Kolbe 7%
Jon Kyl 13%
John LaFalce 100%
Ray LaHood 14%
Tom Lantos 100%
Stephen Largent 0%
IA U.S. House 3 Tom Latham Republican 0%
Steve LaTourette 14%
Greg Laughlin 18%
NJ U.S. Senate Sr Frank Lautenberg Democratic 100%
Rick Lazio 21%
James Leach 43%
VT U.S. Senate Sr Patrick Leahy Democratic 100%
MI U.S. Senate Sr Carl Levin Democratic 87%
MI U.S. House 9 Sandy Levin Democratic 86%
Jerry Lewis 14%
GA U.S. House 5 John Lewis Democratic 100%
Ron Lewis 0%
Joe Lieberman 80%
Jim Lightfoot 9%
Blanche Lincoln 64%
John Linder 0%
William Lipinski 57%
Robert Livingston 0%
NJ U.S. House 2 Frank LoBiondo Republican 21%
CA U.S. House 19 Zoe Lofgren Democratic 93%
James Longley, Jr. 9%
Trent Lott, Sr. 20%
NY U.S. House 17 Nita Lowey Democratic 86%
OK U.S. House 3 Frank Lucas Republican 0%
Dick Lugar 20%
William Luther 86%
Connie Mack 13%
NY U.S. House 12 Carolyn Maloney Democratic 93%
Thomas Manton 79%
Don Manzullo 0%
MA U.S. House 5 Ed Markey Democratic 100%
Matthew Martinez 86%
Bill Martini 27%
Frank Mascara 57%
Robert Matsui 93%
AZ U.S. Senate Sr John McCain III Republican 13%
Karen McCarthy 86%
Bill McCollum 0%
KY U.S. Senate Sr Mitch McConnell Republican 20%
James McCrery III 0%
Joseph McDade 14%
WA U.S. House 7 Jim McDermott Democratic 100%
Paul McHale 71%
John McHugh 21%
Scott McInnis 0%
David McIntosh 0%
CA U.S. House 25 Buck McKeon Republican 0%
Cynthia Ann McKinney 100%
Michael McNulty 93%
Martin Meehan 93%
Carrie Meek 93%
NJ U.S. Senate Jr Bob Menendez Democratic 93%
Jack Metcalf 7%
Jan Meyers 18%
FL U.S. House 7 John Mica Republican 0%
MD U.S. Senate Sr Barbara Mikulski Democratic 93%
Juanita Millender-McDonald 100%
Dan Miller 7%
CA U.S. House 11 George Miller Democratic 79%
David Minge 79%
Patsy Takemoto Mink 100%
John Moakley 79%
Susan Molinari 21%
Alan Mollohan 79%
G.V. Montgomery 18%
Carlos Moorhead 0%
VA U.S. House 8 Jim Moran, Jr. Democratic 79%
Constance Morella 43%
Carol Moseley Braun 93%
Patrick Moynihan 100%
Frank Murkowski 20%
WA U.S. Senate Sr Patty Murray Democratic 100%
Jack Murtha 64%
John Myers 0%
Sue Myrick 0%
NY U.S. House 10 Jerry Nadler Democratic 86%
MA U.S. House 1 Richard Neal Democratic 71%
George Nethercutt, Jr. 0%
Mark Neumann 7%
Robert William Ney 7%
Don Nickles 13%
Charles Norwood, Jr. 0%
Sam Nunn 72%
James Nussle 0%
Jim Oberstar 86%
Dave Obey 79%
John Olver 100%
Solomon Ortiz, Sr. 86%
Bill Orton 91%
Major Owens 100%
Michael Oxley 0%
Ronald Packard 0%
NJ U.S. House 6 Frank Pallone, Jr. Democratic 86%
Mike Parker 0%
AZ U.S. House 7 Ed Pastor Democratic 100%
William Paxon 0%
Donald Payne 100%
Lewis Payne, Jr. 91%
Claiborne Pell 89%
CA U.S. House 12 Nancy Pelosi Democratic 100%
MN U.S. House 7 Collin Peterson Democratic/Farmer/Labor 50%
Pete Peterson 91%
WI U.S. House 6 Tom Petri Republican 0%
Owen Pickett 50%
Richard Pombo 0%
Earl Pomeroy 86%
John Edward Porter 7%
OH U.S. Senate Jr Rob Portman Republican 0%
Glenn Poshard 64%
Larry Pressler 11%
Deborah Pryce 7%
David Pryor 94%
James Quillen 0%
Jack Quinn 50%
George Radanovich 0%
WV U.S. House 3 Nick Rahall II Democratic 86%
James Ramstad 29%
NY U.S. House 13 Charlie Rangel Democratic 100%
RI U.S. Senate Sr Jack Reed Democratic 86%
Ralph Regula 7%
NV U.S. Senate Sr Harry Reid Democratic 87%
Bill Richardson 82%
Frank Duncan Riggs 7%
Lynn Nancy Rivers 86%
Charles Robb 67%
KS U.S. Senate Sr Pat Roberts Republican 14%
WV U.S. Senate Sr Jay Rockefeller IV Democratic 80%
Timothy Roemer 64%
KY U.S. House 5 Hal Rogers Republican 7%
CA U.S. House 48 Dana Rohrabacher Republican 0%
Charles Rose III 82%
FL U.S. House 27 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Republican 36%
Toby Roth 9%
William Roth, Jr. 13%
Marge Roukema 57%
CA U.S. House 40 Lucille Roybal-Allard Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 39 Ed Royce Republican 0%
IL U.S. House 1 Bobby Rush Democratic 93%
Martin Olav Sabo 100%
AZ U.S. House 5 Matthew Salmon Republican 0%
VT U.S. Senate Jr Bernie Sanders Independent 100%
SC U.S. House 1 Mark Sanford, Jr. Republican 7%
Rick Santorum 20%
Paul Sarbanes 100%
OH State Senate 28 Thomas Sawyer Democratic 79%
Jim Saxton 14%
Joe Scarborough 0%
Daniel Schaefer 0%
Steven Schiff 21%
Patricia Schroeder 100%
NY U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Schumer Democratic 79%
VA U.S. House 3 Bobby Scott Democratic 100%
Andrea Seastrand 0%
WI U.S. House 5 Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. Republican 0%
NY U.S. House 15 José Serrano Democratic 100%
John Shadegg 0%
E. Clay Shaw, Jr. 7%
Christopher Shays 29%
AL U.S. Senate Sr Richard Shelby Republican 20%
E.G. Shuster 0%
Paul Simon 89%
Alan Simpson 17%
Norman Sisisky 57%
David Skaggs 86%
Joseph Skeen 0%
Ike Skelton 64%
NY U.S. House 25 Louise Slaughter Democratic 93%
NJ U.S. House 4 Chris Smith Republican 21%
TX U.S. House 21 Lamar Smith Republican 0%
Linda Smith 7%
Nick Smith 0%
Bob Smith 13%
Olympia Snowe 47%
Gerald B.H. Solomon 7%
Mark Souder 0%
Arlen Specter 53%
Floyd Spence 0%
John Spratt, Jr. 71%
Pete Stark 86%
Cliff Stearns 0%
Charles Stenholm 43%
Ted Stevens 20%
TX U.S. House 36 Steve Stockman Republican 0%
Louis Stokes 71%
Gerry Studds 100%
Bob Stump 0%
Bart Stupak 71%
James Talent 0%
John Tanner 57%
Randy Tate 0%
William Tauzin 7%
Charles Taylor 0%
Gene Taylor 29%
Frank Tejeda 91%
Craig Thomas 20%
William Thomas 0%
MS U.S. House 2 Bennie Thompson Democratic 93%
Fred Thompson 13%
TX U.S. House 13 Mac Thornberry Republican 0%
Ray Thornton 100%
Karen Thurman 71%
Strom Thurmond 20%
Todd Tiahrt 0%
Peter Torkildsen 45%
Esteban Edward Torres 93%
Robert Torricelli 64%
Ed Towns 93%
James Traficant, Jr. 64%
MI U.S. House 6 Fred Upton Republican 14%
NY U.S. House 7 Nydia Velázquez Democratic 93%
Bruce Vento 93%
IN U.S. House 1 Pete Visclosky Democratic 79%
Harold Volkmer 82%
Barbara Vucanovich 9%
Robert Walker 0%
James Walsh 29%
Zach Wamp 7%
Michael Ward 100%
John Warner 27%
CA U.S. House 43 Maxine Waters Democratic 86%
NC U.S. House 12 Mel Watt Democratic 100%
Julius Caesar Watts, Jr. 0%
CA U.S. House 33 Henry Waxman Democratic 93%
David Weldon 0%
W. Curtis Weldon 7%
Gerald Weller 14%
Paul Wellstone 100%
Rick White 7%
KY U.S. House 1 Ed Whitfield Republican 7%
MS U.S. Senate Jr Roger Wicker Republican 0%
Pat Williams 64%
Charles Wilson 91%
Bob Wise, Jr. 71%
VA U.S. House 10 Frank Wolf Republican 0%
Lynn Woolsey 100%
OR U.S. Senate Sr Ron Wyden Democratic 87%
Albert Wynn 93%
Sidney Yates 100%
FL U.S. House 13 Bill Young Republican 14%
AK U.S. House At-Large Don Young Republican 7%
Bill Zeliff 9%
Richard Zimmer 9%

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.

Back to top