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Special Interest Groups

Interest Group Ratings

Rating Group: American Conservative Union

1997 Positions

Issues: Conservative
State Office District Name Party Rating
AK U.S. House At-Large Don Young Republican 86%
AL U.S. Senate Sr Richard Shelby Republican 92%
AL U.S. Senate Jr Jeff Sessions III Republican 100%
AL U.S. House 4 Robert Aderholt Republican 96%
AL U.S. House 6 Spencer Bachus Republican 96%
AZ U.S. Senate Sr John McCain III Republican 80%
AZ U.S. Senate Jr Jon Kyl Republican 96%
AZ U.S. House 4 Edward Pastor Democratic 8%
CA U.S. Senate Sr Dianne Feinstein Democratic 4%
CA U.S. Senate Jr Barbara Boxer Democratic 0%
CA U.S. House 2 Wally Herger, Jr. Republican 96%
CA U.S. House 6 Lynn Woolsey Democratic 0%
CA U.S. House 7 George Miller Democratic 4%
CA U.S. House 8 Nancy Pelosi Democratic 4%
CA U.S. House 13 Pete Stark Democratic 4%
CA U.S. House 14 Anna Eshoo Democratic 8%
CA U.S. House 16 Zoe Lofgren Democratic 8%
CA U.S. House 17 Sam Farr Democratic 4%
CA U.S. House 24 Elton Gallegly Republican 80%
CA U.S. House 25 Buck McKeon Republican 92%
CA U.S. House 26 David Dreier Republican 88%
CA U.S. House 27 Brad Sherman Democratic 32%
CA U.S. House 28 Howard Berman Democratic 9%
CA U.S. House 30 Henry Waxman Democratic 0%
CA U.S. House 31 Xavier Becerra Democratic 0%
CA U.S. House 34 Lucille Roybal-Allard Democratic 8%
CA U.S. House 35 Maxine Waters Democratic 8%
CA U.S. House 40 Ed Royce Republican 100%
CA U.S. House 41 Jerry Lewis Republican 63%
CA U.S. House 44 Ken Calvert Republican 92%
CA U.S. House 46 Dana Rohrabacher Republican 92%
CA U.S. House 47 Loretta Sanchez Democratic 28%
CA U.S. House 50 Brian Bilbray Republican 76%
CA U.S. House 51 Bob Filner Democratic 8%
CO U.S. House 1 Diana DeGette Democratic 13%
CO State Board of Education 4 Robert Schaffer Republican 96%
CT U.S. Senate Sr Joe Lieberman Independent Democrat 20%
CT U.S. House 3 Rosa DeLauro Democratic 13%
FL U.S. House 3 Corrine Brown Democratic 17%
FL U.S. House 6 Cliff Stearns Republican 100%
FL U.S. House 7 John Mica Republican 100%
FL U.S. House 10 Bill Young Republican 79%
FL U.S. House 18 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Republican 76%
FL U.S. House 23 Alcee Hastings, Sr. Democratic 19%
FL Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Charles Canady 92%
GA U.S. Senate Sr Saxby Chambliss Republican 88%
GA U.S. House 1 Jack Kingston Republican 96%
GA U.S. House 2 Sanford Bishop, Jr. Democratic 29%
GA U.S. House 5 John Lewis Democratic 4%
GA Governor Nathan Deal Republican 96%
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic 4%
HI U.S. Senate Jr Daniel Akaka, Sr. Democratic 4%
HI Governor Neil Abercrombie Democratic 20%
IA U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Grassley Republican 80%
IA U.S. Senate Jr Tom Harkin Democratic 12%
IA U.S. House 3 Leonard Boswell Democratic 28%
IA U.S. House 4 Tom Latham Republican 76%
ID U.S. Senate Sr Mike Crapo Republican 92%
IL U.S. Senate Sr Dick Durbin Democratic 4%
IL U.S. House 1 Bobby Rush Democratic 4%
IL U.S. House 2 Jesse Jackson, Jr. Democratic 4%
IL U.S. House 4 Luis Gutierrez Democratic 13%
IL U.S. House 7 Danny Davis Democratic 8%
IL U.S. House 12 Jerry Costello Democratic 25%
IL U.S. House 16 Don Manzullo Republican 100%
IL U.S. House 19 John Shimkus Republican 88%
IN U.S. Senate Sr Dick Lugar Republican 64%
IN U.S. Senate Jr Daniel Coats Republican 88%
IN U.S. House 1 Pete Visclosky Democratic 29%
IN U.S. House 5 Dan Burton Republican 96%
KS U.S. Senate Sr Pat Roberts Republican 68%
KS U.S. Senate Jr Jerry Moran Republican 96%
KS Governor Sam Brownback Republican 100%
KY U.S. Senate Sr Mitch McConnell Republican 88%
KY U.S. House 1 Ed Whitfield Republican 96%
KY U.S. House 5 Hal Rogers Republican 80%
LA U.S. Senate Sr Mary Landrieu Democratic 16%
MA U.S. Senate Sr John Kerry Democratic 0%
MA U.S. House 1 John Olver Democratic 4%
MA U.S. House 2 Richard Neal Democratic 25%
MA U.S. House 3 Jim McGovern Democratic 4%
MA U.S. House 4 Barney Frank Democratic 4%
MA U.S. House 6 John Tierney Democratic 12%
MA U.S. House 7 Ed Markey Democratic 8%
MD U.S. Senate Sr Barbara Mikulski Democratic 4%
MD U.S. Senate Jr Ben Cardin Democratic 12%
MD U.S. House 5 Steny Hoyer Democratic 12%
MD U.S. House 6 Roscoe Bartlett Republican 100%
MD U.S. House 7 Elijah Cummings Democratic 4%
ME U.S. Senate Sr Olympia Snowe Republican 44%
ME U.S. Senate Jr Susan Collins Republican 48%
MI U.S. Senate Sr Carl Levin Democratic 0%
MI U.S. Senate Jr Debbie Stabenow Democratic 12%
MI U.S. House 4 Dave Camp Republican 84%
MI U.S. House 5 Dale Kildee Democratic 24%
MI U.S. House 6 Fred Upton Republican 80%
MI U.S. House 12 Sandy Levin Democratic 4%
MI U.S. House 14 John Conyers, Jr. Democratic 4%
MI U.S. House 15 John Dingell Democratic 8%
MN U.S. House 7 Collin Peterson Democratic/Farmer/Labor 52%
MO U.S. Senate Jr Roy Blunt Republican 80%
MO U.S. House 8 Jo Ann Emerson Republican 88%
MS U.S. Senate Sr Thad Cochran Republican 56%
MS U.S. Senate Jr Roger Wicker Republican 80%
MS U.S. House 2 Bennie Thompson Democratic 16%
MT U.S. Senate Sr Max Baucus Democratic 4%
NA Vice President Joe Biden, Jr. Democratic 16%
NA U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood Republican 64%
NC U.S. Senate Sr Richard Burr Republican 92%
NC U.S. House 3 Walter Jones, Jr. Republican 100%
NC U.S. House 4 David Price Democratic 8%
NC U.S. House 6 Howard Coble Republican 88%
NC U.S. House 7 Mike McIntyre Democratic 60%
NC U.S. House 9 Sue Myrick Republican 100%
NC U.S. House 12 Mel Watt Democratic 4%
ND U.S. Senate Sr Kent Conrad Democratic-NPL 16%
NH U.S. House 2 Charlie Bass Republican 80%
NJ U.S. Senate Sr Frank Lautenberg Democratic 0%
NJ U.S. Senate Jr Bob Menendez Democratic 13%
NJ U.S. House 1 Rob Andrews Democratic 22%
NJ U.S. House 2 Frank LoBiondo Republican 68%
NJ U.S. House 4 Chris Smith Republican 64%
NJ U.S. House 6 Frank Pallone, Jr. Democratic 12%
NJ U.S. House 8 Bill Pascrell, Jr. Democratic 36%
NJ U.S. House 9 Steve Rothman Democratic 13%
NJ U.S. House 11 Rodney Frelinghuysen Republican 52%
NM U.S. Senate Sr Jeff Bingaman Democratic 0%
NV U.S. Senate Sr Harry Reid Democratic 8%
NY U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Schumer Democratic 19%
NY U.S. House 3 Pete King Republican 64%
NY U.S. House 4 Carolyn McCarthy Democratic 16%
NY U.S. House 5 Gary Ackerman Democratic 13%
NY U.S. House 8 Jerry Nadler Democratic 4%
NY U.S. House 10 Ed Towns Democratic 9%
NY U.S. House 12 Nydia Velázquez Democratic 4%
NY U.S. House 14 Carolyn Maloney Democratic 8%
NY U.S. House 15 Charlie Rangel Democratic 16%
NY U.S. House 16 José Serrano Democratic 8%
NY U.S. House 17 Eliot Engel Democratic 8%
NY U.S. House 18 Nita Lowey Democratic 8%
NY U.S. House 22 Maurice Hinchey Democratic 8%
NY U.S. House 28 Louise Slaughter Democratic 9%
OH U.S. Senate Sr Sherrod Brown Democratic 12%
OH U.S. Senate Jr Rob Portman Republican 92%
OH U.S. House 1 Steve Chabot Republican 96%
OH U.S. House 8 John Boehner Republican 87%
OH U.S. House 9 Marcy Kaptur Democratic 32%
OH U.S. House 10 Dennis Kucinich Democratic 16%
OH U.S. House 14 Steve LaTourette Republican 71%
OH Governor John Kasich Republican 88%
OH State Senate 28 Thomas Sawyer Democratic 8%
OH Attorney General Michael DeWine Republican 68%
OK U.S. Senate Sr Jim Inhofe Republican 100%
OK U.S. Senate Jr Thomas Coburn Republican 95%
OK U.S. House 3 Frank Lucas Republican 92%
OR U.S. Senate Sr Ron Wyden Democratic 8%
OR U.S. House 3 Earl Blumenauer Democratic 4%
OR U.S. House 4 Peter DeFazio Democratic 28%
PA U.S. House 2 Chaka Fattah, Sr. Democratic 0%
PA U.S. House 14 Mike Doyle, Jr. Democratic 36%
PA U.S. House 16 Joe Pitts Republican 96%
PA U.S. House 17 Thomas Holden Democratic 54%
RI U.S. Senate Sr Jack Reed Democratic 0%
SC U.S. Senate Sr Lindsey Graham Republican 92%
SC U.S. House 6 Jim Clyburn Democratic 16%
SD U.S. Senate Sr Timothy Johnson Democratic 12%
SD U.S. Senate Jr John Thune Republican 88%
TN U.S. House 2 John Duncan, Jr. Republican 88%
TX U.S. Senate Sr Kay Hutchison Republican 92%
TX U.S. House 3 Sam Johnson Republican 96%
TX U.S. House 4 Ralph Hall Republican 96%
TX U.S. House 6 Joe Barton Republican 92%
TX U.S. House 8 Kevin Brady Republican 100%
TX U.S. House 12 Kay Granger Republican 92%
TX U.S. House 13 Mac Thornberry Republican 96%
TX U.S. House 14 Ron Paul Republican 80%
TX U.S. House 15 Rubén Hinojosa-Flores, Sr. Democratic 29%
TX U.S. House 16 Silvestre Reyes Democratic 38%
TX U.S. House 18 Sheila Jackson Lee Democratic 13%
TX U.S. House 21 Lamar Smith Republican 88%
TX U.S. House 25 Lloyd Doggett Democratic 16%
TX U.S. House 29 Gene Green Democratic 42%
TX U.S. House 30 Eddie Johnson Democratic 16%
TX U.S. House 32 Pete Sessions Republican 100%
UT U.S. Senate Sr Orrin Hatch Republican 68%
VA U.S. House 3 Bobby Scott Democratic 8%
VA U.S. House 6 Bob Goodlatte Republican 80%
VA U.S. House 8 Jim Moran, Jr. Democratic 13%
VA U.S. House 10 Frank Wolf Republican 84%
VT U.S. Senate Sr Patrick Leahy Democratic 13%
VT U.S. Senate Jr Bernie Sanders Independent 12%
WA U.S. Senate Sr Patty Murray Democratic 0%
WA U.S. House 4 Richard Hastings Republican 92%
WA U.S. House 6 Norm Dicks Democratic 17%
WA U.S. House 7 Jim McDermott Democratic 4%
WA U.S. House 9 Adam Smith Democratic 20%
WI U.S. Senate Sr Herb Kohl Democratic 20%
WI U.S. House 3 Ron Kind Democratic 28%
WI U.S. House 5 Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. Republican 88%
WI U.S. House 6 Tom Petri Republican 80%
WI Mayor At-Large Tom Barrett Democratic 20%
WV U.S. Senate Sr Jay Rockefeller IV Democratic 8%
WV U.S. House 3 Nick Rahall II Democratic 21%
WY U.S. Senate Sr Mike Enzi Republican 88%
Edmond Spencer Abraham 76%
Wayne Allard 100%
Thomas Allen 8%
William Archer 80%
Richard Armey 88%
John Ashcroft 100%
Henry Scott Baesler 36%
Richard Hugh Baker 92%
John Baldacci 8%
Cass Ballenger 83%
James Barcia 64%
Robert Barr, Jr. 96%
William Barrett 79%
Herbert Bateman 64%
Bob Bennett 68%
Kenneth Bentsen, Jr. 13%
Douglas Bereuter 68%
Marion Berry 44%
Michael Bilirakis 84%
Rod Blagojevich 16%
Thomas Bliley, Jr. 75%
Sherwood Boehlert 32%
Kit Bond 76%
Henry Bonilla 95%
David Edward Bonior 12%
Robert Borski, Jr. 17%
Rick Boucher 8%
Allen Boyd, Jr. 44%
Carol Moseley Braun 8%
John Breaux 20%
George Brown, Jr. 4%
Richard Bryan 4%
Ed Bryant 100%
Dale Bumpers 4%
Jim Bunning 92%
Conrad Burns 88%
Steve Buyer 83%
Robert Byrd 16%
Herbert Callahan 88%
Ben Campbell 72%
Thomas Campbell 68%
Chris Cannon 96%
Julia Carson 9%
Mike Castle 56%
John Chafee 24%
Helen Chenoweth 96%
Jon Lynn Christensen 92%
William Clay, Sr. 9%
Eva Clayton 4%
Joseph Maxwell Cleland 8%
Robert Clement 25%
Mac Collins 83%
Larry Combest 92%
Gary Condit 52%
Merrill Cook 88%
John Cooksey 91%
Paul Coverdell 92%
Christopher Cox 96%
William Coyne 0%
Larry Craig 84%
Robert Cramer 48%
Philip Crane 96%
Barbara Cubin 100%
Randall Cunningham 92%
Alfonse D'Amato 56%
Patsy Ann Danner 56%
Thomas Daschle 4%
James Davis 16%
Thomas Davis III 72%
Bill Delahunt 0%
Thomas DeLay 88%
Peter Deutsch 21%
Lincoln Diaz-Balart 72%
Jay Dickey 88%
Julian Dixon 12%
Chris Dodd 4%
Pete Domenici, Jr. 60%
Calvin Dooley 12%
John Doolittle 96%
Byron Dorgan 16%
Jennifer Dunn 92%
Chet Edwards 28%
Vern Ehlers 67%
Bob Ehrlich, Jr. 72%
Philip English 76%
John Ensign 100%
Bob Etheridge 32%
Lane Evans 16%
Terry Everett 96%
Thomas Ewing 84%
Duncan McLauchlin Faircloth 92%
Harris Fawell 60%
Victor Fazio 12%
Russ Feingold 8%
Mark Foley 84%
Michael Patrick Forbes 70%
Harold Ford, Jr. 8%
Wendell Ford 12%
Vito Fossella, Jr. 100%
Tillie Fowler 84%
Jon David Fox 72%
Robert Franks 64%
William Frist 72%
Jonas Frost III 20%
Elizabeth Furse 9%
John Ganske 76%
Sam Gejdenson 12%
George Gekas 88%
Richard Andrew Gephardt 14%
Jim Gibbons 91%
Wayne Gilchrest 71%
Paul Gillmor 84%
Benjamin Gilman 40%
Newt Gingrich 75%
John Glenn 0%
Henry Gonzalez 11%
Virgil Goode, Jr. 84%
William Goodling 88%
Bart Gordon 36%
Slade Gorton 60%
Porter Goss 88%
Daniel Graham 8%
William Phillip Gramm 100%
Rodney Grams 100%
James Greenwood 50%
Judd Gregg 76%
Gilbert Gutknecht 92%
Charles Hagel 80%
Tony Hall 21%
Lee Hamilton 28%
James Hansen 91%
Jane Harman 25%
J. Dennis Hastert 88%
J.D. Hayworth, Jr. 96%
Joel Hefley 96%
W.G. Hefner 23%
Jesse Helms 100%
Rick Hill 92%
Van Hilleary 100%
Earl Hilliard, Jr. 10%
David Lee Hobson 80%
Pete Hoekstra 88%
Ernest Hollings 8%
Darlene Hooley 16%
Stephen Horn 44%
John Nathan Hostettler 88%
Amory Houghton, Jr. 33%
Kenny Hulshof 92%
Duncan Hunter 88%
William Hutchinson 88%
Y. Tim Hutchinson 100%
Henry Hyde 68%
Bob Inglis, Sr. 100%
Ernest Istook, Jr. 100%
William Jefferson 17%
James Merrill Jeffords 21%
William Lewis Jenkins 88%
Christopher John 64%
Jay Johnson 20%
Nancy Johnson 36%
Paul Kanjorski 12%
Sue Kelly 64%
Dirk Kempthorne 88%
Edward Kennedy, Sr. 4%
Joseph Kennedy II 4%
Patrick Kennedy 17%
Barbara Bailey Kennelly 12%
Bob Kerrey 4%
Carolyn Kilpatrick 12%
Jay Kim 88%
Gerald Kleczka 25%
Ronald Klink 32%
Scott Klug 68%
Joseph Knollenberg 76%
James Kolbe 64%
John LaFalce 16%
Nicholas Lampson 24%
Tom Lantos 8%
Stephen Largent 96%
Rick Lazio 65%
James Leach 60%
Ron Lewis 95%
John Linder 87%
William Lipinski 46%
Robert Livingston 76%
Trent Lott, Sr. 72%
William Luther 24%
Connie Mack 88%
James Maloney 32%
Thomas Manton 29%
Matthew Martinez 22%
Frank Mascara 32%
Robert Matsui 20%
Karen McCarthy 16%
Bill McCollum 88%
James McCrery III 83%
Joseph McDade 68%
Paul McHale 32%
John McHugh 60%
Scott McInnis 91%
David McIntosh 100%
Cynthia Ann McKinney 13%
Michael McNulty 26%
Martin Meehan 20%
Carrie Meek 17%
Jack Metcalf 88%
Juanita Millender-McDonald 12%
Dan Miller 84%
David Minge 28%
Patsy Takemoto Mink 12%
John Moakley 8%
Alan Mollohan 33%
Constance Morella 20%
Daniel Patrick Moynihan 12%
Frank Murkowski 68%
Jack Murtha 32%
George Nethercutt, Jr. 92%
Mark Neumann 96%
Robert William Ney 71%
Don Nickles 96%
Anne Northup 88%
Charles Norwood, Jr. 96%
James Nussle 92%
Jim Oberstar 17%
Dave Obey 21%
Solomon Ortiz, Sr. 35%
Major Owens 8%
Michael Oxley 68%
Ronald Packard 84%
Michael Pappas 88%
Paul Michael Parker 80%
William Paxon 96%
Donald Payne 5%
Edward Pease 96%
John Peterson 96%
Charles Pickering, Jr. 92%
Owen Pickett 20%
Richard Pombo 92%
Earl Pomeroy 38%
John Edward Porter 46%
Glenn Poshard 28%
Deborah Pryce 72%
Jack Quinn 58%
George Radanovich 96%
James Ramstad 64%
William Redmond 95%
Ralph Regula 56%
Frank Duncan Riggs 88%
Bob Riley 95%
Lynn Nancy Rivers 12%
Charles Robb 4%
Ciro Rodriguez 26%
Timothy Roemer 32%
James Rogan 92%
William Roth, Jr. 64%
Marge Roukema 42%
Jim Ryun 100%
Martin Olav Sabo 4%
Matthew Salmon 100%
Max Sandlin, Jr. 36%
Mark Sanford, Jr. 88%
Rick Santorum 84%
Paul Sarbanes 0%
H. James Saxton 68%
Joe Scarborough 100%
Daniel Schaefer 92%
Steven Schiff 100%
John Shadegg 100%
E. Clay Shaw, Jr. 80%
Christopher Shays 56%
E.G. Shuster 84%
Norman Sisisky 28%
David Skaggs 4%
Joseph Skeen 76%
Ike Skelton 52%
Gordon Smith 72%
Linda Smith 84%
Nick Smith 88%
Robert Smith 83%
Bob Smith 96%
Vincent Snowbarger 100%
Vic Snyder 20%
Gerald B.H. Solomon 95%
Mark Souder 100%
Arlen Specter 32%
Floyd Spence 88%
John Spratt, Jr. 17%
Charles Stenholm 58%
Ted Stevens 58%
Louis Stokes 4%
Ted Strickland 24%
Robert Stump 100%
Bart Stupak 20%
John Sununu 92%
James Talent 100%
John Tanner 40%
Ellen Tauscher 20%
William Tauzin 83%
Charles Taylor 91%
Gene Taylor 80%
Craig Thomas 84%
William Thomas 80%
Fred Thompson 88%
Karen Thurman 24%
Strom Thurmond 96%
Todd Tiahrt 100%
Esteban Edward Torres 10%
Robert Torricelli 16%
James Traficant, Jr. 76%
James Turner 48%
Bruce Vento 4%
James Walsh 75%
Zach Wamp 92%
John Warner 80%
Wesley Watkins 96%
Julius Caesar Watts, Jr. 100%
David Weldon 92%
W. Curtis Weldon 60%
Gerald Weller 84%
Paul Wellstone 4%
Robert Wexler 17%
Robert Weygand 25%
Rick White 80%
Robert Wise, Jr. 17%
Albert Wynn 4%
Sidney Yates 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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