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Special Interest Groups

Rating Group: American Civil Liberties Union

1997 Positions

State Office District Name Party Rating
HI Governor Neil Abercrombie Democratic 83%
Edmond Spencer Abraham 33%
Gary Ackerman 100%
AL U.S. House 4 Robert Aderholt Republican 0%
Daniel Akaka, Sr. 67%
Wayne Allard 33%
Thomas Allen 83%
NJ U.S. House 1 Rob Andrews Democratic 67%
Bill Archer 0%
Richard Armey 0%
John Ashcroft 33%
AL U.S. House 6 Spencer Bachus Republican 0%
Henry Scott Baesler 33%
Richard Hugh Baker 0%
John Baldacci 80%
Cass Ballenger 0%
James Barcia 17%
Robert Barr, Jr. 0%
WI Mayor At-Large Tom Barrett Democratic 67%
Bill Barrett 0%
Roscoe Bartlett 0%
TX U.S. House 6 Joe Barton Republican 0%
Charlie Bass 17%
Herbert Bateman 0%
MT U.S. Senate Sr Max Baucus Democratic 67%
CA U.S. House 34 Xavier Becerra Democratic 100%
Bob Bennett 33%
Kenneth Bentsen, Jr. 67%
Douglas Bereuter 0%
Howard Berman 100%
Marion Berry 50%
NA Vice President Joe Biden, Jr. Democratic 33%
Brian Bilbray 17%
Michael Bilirakis 0%
Jeff Bingaman 67%
GA U.S. House 2 Sanford Bishop, Jr. Democratic 50%
Rod Blagojevich 67%
Thomas Bliley, Jr. 0%
OR U.S. House 3 Earl Blumenauer Democratic 100%
MO U.S. Senate Jr Roy Blunt Republican 0%
Sherwood Boehlert 67%
OH U.S. House 8 John Boehner Republican 0%
Kit Bond 33%
Henry Bonilla 0%
David Edward Bonior 83%
Robert Borski, Jr. 50%
Leonard Boswell 50%
Rick Boucher 67%
CA U.S. Senate Jr Barbara Boxer Democratic 67%
Allen Boyd, Jr. 33%
TX U.S. House 8 Kevin Brady Republican 0%
John Breaux 0%
FL U.S. House 5 Corrine Brown Democratic 100%
George Brown, Jr. 100%
OH U.S. Senate Sr Sherrod Brown Democratic 67%
KS Governor Sam Brownback Republican 33%
Richard Bryan 67%
Ed Bryant 0%
Dale Bumpers 67%
Jim Bunning 0%
Conrad Burns 33%
NC U.S. Senate Sr Richard Burr Republican 0%
Dan Burton 0%
Steve Buyer 20%
Robert Byrd 33%
Herbert Callahan 0%
CA U.S. House 42 Ken Calvert Republican 0%
MI U.S. House 4 Dave Camp Republican 0%
Ben Campbell 33%
Thomas Campbell 67%
FL Justice of the Supreme Court Charles Canady 0%
Chris Cannon 17%
MD U.S. Senate Jr Ben Cardin Democratic 83%
Julia Carson 75%
Mike Castle 33%
OH U.S. House 1 Steve Chabot Republican 0%
John Chafee 67%
GA U.S. Senate Sr Saxby Chambliss Republican 0%
Helen Chenoweth-Hage 0%
Jon Lynn Christensen 0%
William Clay, Sr. 100%
Eva Clayton 100%
Joseph Maxwell Cleland 67%
Robert Clement 20%
SC U.S. House 6 Jim Clyburn Democratic 67%
IN U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Coats Republican 33%
NC U.S. House 6 Howard Coble Republican 0%
OK U.S. Senate Jr Thomas Coburn Republican 0%
MS U.S. Senate Sr Thad Cochran Republican 33%
Michael Collins 0%
ME U.S. Senate Sr Susan Collins Republican 33%
Larry Combest 0%
Gary Condit 33%
Kent Conrad 33%
MI U.S. House 13 John Conyers, Jr. Democratic 100%
Merrill Cook 0%
John Cooksey 0%
Jerry Costello 20%
Paul Coverdell 33%
Christopher Cox 0%
William Coyne 100%
Larry Craig 33%
Robert Cramer 33%
Philip Crane 0%
ID U.S. Senate Sr Mike Crapo Republican 0%
Barbara Cubin 0%
MD U.S. House 7 Elijah Cummings Democratic 100%
Randall Cunningham 0%
Alfonse D'Amato 33%
Patsy Ann Danner 33%
Thomas Daschle 33%
IL U.S. House 7 Danny Davis Democratic 100%
James Davis 33%
Thomas Davis III 17%
GA Governor Nathan Deal Republican 0%
OR U.S. House 4 Peter DeFazio Democratic 100%
CO U.S. House 1 Diana DeGette Democratic 100%
Bill Delahunt 83%
CT U.S. House 3 Rosa DeLauro Democratic 83%
Thomas DeLay 0%
Peter Deutsch 67%
OH Attorney General Michael DeWine Republican 33%
Lincoln Diaz-Balart 0%
Jay Dickey 0%
Norm Dicks 83%
MI U.S. House 12 John Dingell Democratic 67%
Julian Dixon 100%
Chris Dodd 67%
TX U.S. House 35 Lloyd Doggett Democratic 100%
Pete Domenici, Jr. 33%
Calvin Dooley 60%
John Doolittle 0%
Byron Dorgan 33%
PA U.S. House 14 Mike Doyle, Jr. Democratic 33%
David Dreier 0%
TN U.S. House 2 John Duncan, Jr. Republican 17%
Jennifer Dunn 0%
IL U.S. Senate Sr Dick Durbin Democratic 67%
Chet Edwards 60%
Vern Ehlers 33%
Bob Ehrlich, Jr. 17%
Jo Ann Emerson 0%
NY U.S. House 16 Eliot Engel Democratic 83%
Philip English 0%
John Ensign 0%
WY U.S. Senate Sr Mike Enzi Republican 33%
CA U.S. House 18 Anna Eshoo Democratic 83%
Bob Etheridge 33%
Lane Evans 100%
Terry Everett 0%
Thomas Ewing 0%
Duncan McLauchlin Faircloth 33%
CA U.S. House 20 Sam Farr Democratic 80%
PA U.S. House 2 Chaka Fattah, Sr. Democratic 100%
Harris Fawell 17%
Victor Fazio 100%
Russ Feingold 67%
CA U.S. Senate Sr Dianne Feinstein Democratic 67%
CA Mayor At-Large Bob Filner Democratic 80%
Mark Foley 17%
Michael Patrick Forbes 0%
Harold Ford, Jr. 67%
Wendell Ford 33%
Tillie Fowler 17%
Jon David Fox 0%
Barney Frank 100%
Robert Franks 33%
NJ U.S. House 11 Rodney Frelinghuysen Republican 17%
William Frist 33%
Jonas Frost III 67%
Elizabeth Furse 100%
Elton Gallegly 0%
John Ganske 17%
Sam Gejdenson 100%
George Gekas 17%
Richard Andrew Gephardt 67%
Jim Gibbons 17%
Wayne Gilchrest 33%
Paul Gillmor 0%
Benjamin Gilman 50%
Newt Gingrich 0%
John Glenn 67%
Henry Gonzalez 100%
Virgil Goode, Jr. 17%
VA U.S. House 6 Bob Goodlatte Republican 0%
William Goodling 0%
Bart Gordon 33%
Slade Gorton 33%
Porter Goss 0%
Daniel Graham 67%
SC U.S. Senate Sr Lindsey Graham Republican 0%
William Phillip Gramm 33%
Rodney Grams 33%
TX U.S. House 12 Kay Granger Republican 0%
IA U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Grassley Republican 33%
TX U.S. House 29 Gene Green Democratic 50%
James Greenwood 50%
Judd Gregg 33%
IL U.S. House 4 Luis Gutierrez Democratic 80%
Gilbert Gutknecht 0%
NA U.S. Secretary of Defense Charles Hagel Republican 33%
TX U.S. House 4 Ralph Hall Republican 17%
Tony Hall 20%
Lee Hamilton 33%
James Hansen 0%
IA U.S. Senate Jr Tom Harkin Democratic 67%
Jane Harman 67%
J. Dennis Hastert 0%
FL U.S. House 20 Alcee Hastings, Sr. Democratic 100%
WA U.S. House 4 Doc Hastings Republican 0%
UT U.S. Senate Sr Orrin Hatch Republican 33%
J.D. Hayworth, Jr. 0%
Joel Hefley 0%
W.G. Hefner 25%
Jesse Helms 33%
Wally Herger, Jr. 0%
Rick Hill 0%
Van Hilleary 0%
Earl Hilliard, Jr. 75%
Maurice Hinchey 100%
TX U.S. House 15 Rubén Hinojosa, Sr. Democratic 33%
David Lee Hobson 17%
Pete Hoekstra 17%
Thomas Holden 17%
Ernest Hollings 33%
Darlene Hooley 67%
Stephen Horn 50%
John Nathan Hostettler 17%
Amory Houghton, Jr. 17%
MD U.S. House 5 Steny Hoyer Democratic 83%
Kenny Hulshof 0%
Duncan Hunter 0%
Asa Hutchinson 17%
Y. Tim Hutchinson 0%
Kay Hutchison 33%
Henry Hyde 0%
Bob Inglis, Sr. 0%
OK U.S. Senate Sr Jim Inhofe Republican 33%
Daniel Inouye 67%
Ernest Istook, Jr. 0%
Jesse Jackson, Jr. 100%
TX U.S. House 18 Sheila Jackson Lee Democratic 100%
William Jefferson 67%
James Merrill Jeffords 33%
William Lewis Jenkins 0%
Christopher John 33%
TX U.S. House 30 Eddie Johnson Democratic 83%
Jay Johnson 33%
Nancy Johnson 33%
TX U.S. House 3 Sam Johnson Republican 0%
SD U.S. Senate Sr Timothy Johnson Democratic 33%
NC U.S. House 3 Walter Jones, Jr. Republican 0%
Paul Kanjorski 50%
OH U.S. House 9 Marcy Kaptur Democratic 60%
OH Governor John Kasich Republican 0%
Sue Kelly 17%
Dirk Kempthorne 33%
Edward Kennedy, Sr. 67%
Joseph Kennedy II 83%
Patrick Kennedy 83%
Barbara Bailey Kennelly 83%
Bob Kerrey 67%
NA U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Democratic 67%
Dale Kildee 17%
Carolyn Kilpatrick 100%
Jay Kim 0%
WI U.S. House 3 Ron Kind Democratic 67%
NY U.S. House 2 Pete King Republican 0%
GA U.S. House 1 Jack Kingston Republican 0%
Gerald Kleczka 67%
Ronald Klink 67%
Scott Klug 17%
Joseph Knollenberg 0%
Herb Kohl 67%
James Kolbe 50%
Dennis Kucinich 50%
Jon Kyl 33%
John LaFalce 50%
Ray LaHood 0%
Nicholas Lampson 33%
LA U.S. Senate Sr Mary Landrieu Democratic 0%
Tom Lantos 80%
Stephen Largent 0%
IA U.S. House 3 Tom Latham Republican 0%
Steve LaTourette 17%
NJ U.S. Senate Sr Frank Lautenberg Democratic 67%
Rick Lazio 17%
James Leach 50%
VT U.S. Senate Sr Patrick Leahy Democratic 0%
MI U.S. Senate Sr Carl Levin Democratic 67%
MI U.S. House 9 Sandy Levin Democratic 100%
Jerry Lewis 20%
GA U.S. House 5 John Lewis Democratic 100%
Ron Lewis 0%
Joe Lieberman 33%
John Linder 0%
William Lipinski 17%
Robert Livingston 0%
NJ U.S. House 2 Frank LoBiondo Republican 17%
CA U.S. House 19 Zoe Lofgren Democratic 100%
Trent Lott, Sr. 33%
NY U.S. House 17 Nita Lowey Democratic 83%
OK U.S. House 3 Frank Lucas Republican 0%
Dick Lugar 33%
William Luther 67%
Connie Mack 33%
NY U.S. House 12 Carolyn Maloney Democratic 83%
James Maloney 33%
Thomas Manton 33%
Don Manzullo 0%
MA U.S. House 5 Ed Markey Democratic 100%
Matthew Martinez 67%
Frank Mascara 50%
Robert Matsui 100%
AZ U.S. Senate Sr John McCain III Republican 0%
NY U.S. House 4 Carolyn McCarthy Democratic 83%
Karen McCarthy 80%
Bill McCollum 0%
KY U.S. Senate Sr Mitch McConnell Republican 33%
James McCrery III 0%
Joseph McDade 0%
WA U.S. House 7 Jim McDermott Democratic 100%
MA U.S. House 2 Jim McGovern Democratic 83%
Paul McHale 50%
John McHugh 0%
Scott McInnis 0%
David McIntosh 0%
NC U.S. House 7 Mike McIntyre Democratic 17%
CA U.S. House 25 Buck McKeon Republican 0%
Cynthia Ann McKinney 100%
Michael McNulty 50%
Martin Meehan 100%
Carrie Meek 100%
NJ U.S. Senate Jr Bob Menendez Democratic 83%
Jack Metcalf 0%
FL U.S. House 7 John Mica Republican 0%
MD U.S. Senate Sr Barbara Mikulski Democratic 67%
Juanita Millender-McDonald 100%
Dan Miller 17%
CA U.S. House 11 George Miller Democratic 100%
David Minge 67%
Patsy Takemoto Mink 100%
John Moakley 60%
Alan Mollohan 33%
VA U.S. House 8 Jim Moran, Jr. Democratic 33%
KS U.S. Senate Jr Jerry Moran Republican 0%
Constance Morella 83%
Carol Moseley Braun 67%
Patrick Moynihan 0%
Frank Murkowski 33%
WA U.S. Senate Sr Patty Murray Democratic 67%
Jack Murtha 33%
Sue Myrick 0%
NY U.S. House 10 Jerry Nadler Democratic 100%
MA U.S. House 1 Richard Neal Democratic 67%
George Nethercutt, Jr. 0%
Mark Neumann 0%
Robert William Ney 17%
Don Nickles 33%
Anne Northup 0%
Charles Norwood, Jr. 0%
James Nussle 0%
Jim Oberstar 67%
Dave Obey 67%
John Olver 100%
Solomon Ortiz, Sr. 17%
Major Owens 100%
Michael Oxley 20%
Ronald Packard 0%
NJ U.S. House 6 Frank Pallone, Jr. Democratic 83%
Michael Pappas 0%
Mike Parker 0%
NJ U.S. House 9 Bill Pascrell, Jr. Democratic 50%
AZ U.S. House 7 Ed Pastor Democratic 100%
Ron Paul 33%
William Paxon 0%
Donald Payne 100%
Edward Pease 0%
CA U.S. House 12 Nancy Pelosi Democratic 100%
MN U.S. House 7 Collin Peterson Democratic/Farmer/Labor 17%
John Peterson 0%
WI U.S. House 6 Tom Petri Republican 17%
Charles Pickering, Jr. 0%
Owen Pickett 67%
PA U.S. House 16 Joe Pitts Republican 0%
Richard Pombo 0%
Earl Pomeroy 50%
John Edward Porter 40%
OH U.S. Senate Jr Rob Portman Republican 0%
Glenn Poshard 33%
NC U.S. House 4 David Price Democratic 67%
Deborah Pryce 17%
Jack Quinn 0%
George Radanovich 0%
WV U.S. House 3 Nick Rahall II Democratic 40%
James Ramstad 33%
NY U.S. House 13 Charlie Rangel Democratic 100%
Bill Redmond 0%
RI U.S. Senate Sr Jack Reed Democratic 67%
Ralph Regula 17%
NV U.S. Senate Sr Harry Reid Democratic 33%
Silvestre Reyes 33%
Frank Duncan Riggs 17%
Bob Riley 0%
Lynn Nancy Rivers 100%
Charles Robb 67%
KS U.S. Senate Sr Pat Roberts Republican 33%
WV U.S. Senate Sr Jay Rockefeller IV Democratic 67%
Ciro Rodriguez 50%
Timothy Roemer 33%
James Rogan 0%
KY U.S. House 5 Hal Rogers Republican 0%
CA U.S. House 48 Dana Rohrabacher Republican 0%
FL U.S. House 27 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Republican 0%
William Roth, Jr. 33%
Steve Rothman 67%
Marge Roukema 33%
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 80%
Jim Ryun 0%
Martin Olav Sabo 100%
AZ U.S. House 5 Matthew Salmon Republican 0%
CA U.S. House 46 Loretta Sanchez Democratic 50%
VT U.S. Senate Jr Bernie Sanders Independent 100%
Max Sandlin, Jr. 33%
SC U.S. House 1 Mark Sanford, Jr. Republican 17%
Rick Santorum 33%
Paul Sarbanes 67%
OH State Senate 28 Thomas Sawyer Democratic 100%
Jim Saxton 0%
Joe Scarborough 0%
Daniel Schaefer 0%
CO State Board of Education 4 Robert Schaffer Republican 17%
Steven Schiff 0%
NY U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Schumer Democratic 100%
VA U.S. House 3 Bobby Scott Democratic 100%
WI U.S. House 5 Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. Republican 0%
NY U.S. House 15 José Serrano Democratic 100%
AL U.S. Senate Jr Jeff Sessions III Republican 33%
TX U.S. House 32 Pete Sessions Republican 0%
John Shadegg 33%
E. Clay Shaw, Jr. 17%
Christopher Shays 33%
AL U.S. Senate Sr Richard Shelby Republican 33%
CA U.S. House 30 Brad Sherman Democratic 67%
IL U.S. House 15 John Shimkus Republican 0%
E.G. Shuster 17%
Norman Sisisky 33%
David Skaggs 100%
Joseph Skeen 17%
Ike Skelton 17%
NY U.S. House 25 Louise Slaughter Democratic 100%
WA U.S. House 9 Adam Smith Democratic 67%
NJ U.S. House 4 Chris Smith Republican 0%
Gordon Smith 33%
TX U.S. House 21 Lamar Smith Republican 0%
Linda Smith 0%
Nick Smith 0%
Robert Smith 0%
Bob Smith 33%
Vincent Snowbarger 0%
Olympia Snowe 33%
Vic Snyder 100%
Gerald B.H. Solomon 0%
Mark Souder 0%
Arlen Specter 0%
Floyd Spence 0%
John Spratt, Jr. 33%
MI U.S. Senate Jr Debbie Stabenow Democratic 50%
Pete Stark 100%
Cliff Stearns 0%
Charles Stenholm 17%
Ted Stevens 33%
Louis Stokes 100%
Ted Strickland 60%
Bob Stump 0%
Bart Stupak 50%
John Sununu 0%
James Talent 0%
John Tanner 50%
Ellen Tauscher 83%
William Tauzin 0%
Charles Taylor 0%
Gene Taylor 17%
Craig Thomas 20%
William Thomas 25%
MS U.S. House 2 Bennie Thompson Democratic 83%
Fred Thompson 0%
TX U.S. House 13 Mac Thornberry Republican 17%
SD U.S. Senate Jr John Thune Republican 0%
Karen Thurman 83%
Strom Thurmond 33%
Todd Tiahrt 0%
MA U.S. House 6 John Tierney Democratic 100%
Esteban Edward Torres 80%
Robert Torricelli 67%
Ed Towns 60%
James Traficant, Jr. 17%
James Turner 33%
MI U.S. House 6 Fred Upton Republican 17%
NY U.S. House 7 Nydia Velázquez Democratic 100%
Bruce Vento 100%
IN U.S. House 1 Pete Visclosky Democratic 50%
James Walsh 0%
Zach Wamp 0%
John Warner 33%
CA U.S. House 43 Maxine Waters Democratic 100%
Wesley Watkins 0%
NC U.S. House 12 Mel Watt Democratic 100%
Julius Caesar Watts, Jr. 0%
CA U.S. House 33 Henry Waxman Democratic 100%
David Weldon 0%
W. Curtis Weldon 0%
Gerald Weller 0%
Paul Wellstone 67%
Robert Wexler 67%
Bob Weygand 83%
Rick White 17%
KY U.S. House 1 Ed Whitfield Republican 0%
MS U.S. Senate Jr Roger Wicker Republican 0%
Bob Wise, Jr. 80%
VA U.S. House 10 Frank Wolf Republican 0%
Lynn Woolsey 100%
OR U.S. Senate Sr Ron Wyden Democratic 67%
Albert Wynn 67%
Sidney Yates 100%
FL U.S. House 13 Bill Young Republican 0%
AK U.S. House At-Large Don Young Republican 0%

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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