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Republican · South Dakota House, district 17

Serving since Jan 10, 2023SD 2025–26 session

Portrait of William Shorma, rendered as a two-tone print
Official portrait
63%
of sponsored bills got out of committee, in the bottom 5% of the South Dakota House

63% of 52 sponsored bills got out of committee; the average for the South Dakota House is 81%. Ranks 67th of 69, where 1st is the highest share.

The share of bills Shorma sponsored that a committee reported out or a chamber passed, ranked within the South Dakota House. Members of the majority party and committee chairs move more bills, so the rank reflects position as well as effort.

At a glance

6 measures against the South Dakota House. Shorma voted against the majority of South Dakota House Republicans 107 times; party unity 51%, in the bottom quarter of the South Dakota House (average 76%). Shorma missed 4.7% of 638 roll calls, attendance in the bottom quarter of the South Dakota House (average 96.6%).

The measures on which Shorma sits furthest from the middle of the South Dakota House, each against the same group, with the CSIP score when there is one. Every number is explained in its own section below.

Out of committee

63%

South Dakota House average 81% · ranks 67th of 69

Party unity

51%

South Dakota House average 76% · ranks 61st of 69 · 107 votes against the majority of South Dakota House Republicans

Attendance

95.3%

South Dakota House average 96.6% · ranks 57th of 70 · 638 roll calls

CSIP ideology

+0.16

More liberal than 80% of State House Republicans · ± 0.03

From South Dakota, 2024

100%

Of itemized individual dollars · ranks 51st of 214 State House Republicans

Itemized, 2024

$14.1K

State House Republicans’ median $10.7K · ranks 100th of 240

Peer group: South Dakota House. Rank 1 is the highest value in the group; the thick bar is Shorma, the thin grey bar the peer average. The headline is the measure on which Shorma is most unusual among peers (Methods, §08).

Back to topNext: What politicians say

What Shorma says

No statements for the SD 2025–26 session.No classified statements (posts, press releases, newsletters, floor speeches) in this time window.

Back to topNext: Policy

Policy

No policy statements for the SD 2025–26 session.No classified statements (posts, press releases, newsletters, floor speeches) in this time window.

Back to topNext: Ideology

Ideology

Shorma sits at +0.16 on the CSIP scale, right of 0, more liberal than 80% of State House Republicans. Approximate range +0.14 to +0.19, which understates the uncertainty; from 23 donors and 579 roll calls.

CSIP, the lab’s Common-Space Ideal Point, places every official, federal and state, on one left–right scale, estimated from roll-call votes, who gives money to whom, and the text of statements. Negative is left of 0, positive right of it; 0 is the centre of the scale, not a definition of “moderate”.

+0.16

CSIP ideal point

Approximate range +0.14 to +0.19. From 23 donors and 579 roll calls. Run 2026-10-25T215945. Blue is left of 0, red right of 0.

← More liberalMore conservative →0Shorma +0.2State House Republicans +0.4South Dakota House +0.1All State House +0.1

The outlined dot is Shorma, coloured by its side of 0 (blue left, red right, deeper further out); the bar through it is the approximate range (±1.96 standard errors), which understates the uncertainty; the grey ticks below are the medians of Shorma’s groups. 0 is the centre of the scale, not “moderate” by definition.

What this means, and what it doesn’t

The score summarises how an official votes, who funds them and how they talk, relative to everyone else. It does not grade positions as good or bad, and two officials with the same score can differ on any single issue. The ± range is 1.96 standard errors, which understates the uncertainty: scores whose ranges overlap may not differ at all, and even scores whose ranges do not overlap may not differ.

Where Shorma sits

Every official in each group, on the CSIP scale

−2.0−1.00.0+1.0+2.0← More liberalMore conservative →State House Republicansmedian +0.4Shorma +0.2South Dakota Housemedian +0.1All State Housemedian +0.1
Show the data
Shorma's CSIP score of +0.16 placed against State House Republicans, South Dakota House, All State House.
GroupOfficialsMedianShare left of Shorma
State House Republicans2917+0.420%
South Dakota House70+0.156%
All State House5324+0.156%
How to read the strips

Every small dot is one official on the same scale, coloured by its own score (blue left of 0, red right of 0, grey at 0, deeper further out) and spread up and down only to keep dots apart; where a group is crowded the dots overlap, and darker patches mean more officials. The large outlined dot is Shorma in every row; the rule is each group’s median. The table under the figure gives the share of each group to the left of Shorma.

Back to topNext: Money

Money

Shorma reported $14.1K in the 2024 cycle, above the State House Republicans’ median of $10.7K. State filings report no small-donation total. 100% of itemized individual money came from South Dakota.

Campaign money from state campaign-finance filings, as aggregates only; the lab never shows an individual donor. Campaigns must report by name every person who gives them more than $200 in a cycle (“itemized”); smaller gifts are reported only as one total (“unitemized”), so donor counts, donor states, employers and occupations describe itemized donors only. State filings report no small-gift total, so these figures add up itemized contributions only.

Election cycle
$14.1K

itemized in the 2024 cycle

From 3 itemized donors. State House Republicans’ median $10.7K.

Where the money came from

Each square is one percent of itemized contributions in the 2024 cycle.

Individuals (itemized): $400 (2.8%)Individuals (itemized): $400 (2.8%)Individuals (itemized): $400 (2.8%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)PACs and other committees: $13.7K (97.2%)
  • Individuals (itemized)3 squares$400
  • PACs and other committees97 squares$13.7K
Show the data
Sources of Shorma's money, 2024 cycle, one square per percent
SourceAmountShare
Individuals (itemized)$4002.8%
PACs and other committees$13.7K97.2%
What this means, and what it doesn’t

Totals say how much a campaign took in, not how it was spent, and they rise sharply when a seat is up for election; compare cycles with that in mind.

Receipts by cycle

Itemized contributions, 2020 to 2024. The grey line is the State House Republicans’ median for 2024.

2020 cycle: $7,508$7,50820202022 cycle: $12.3K$12.3K20222024 cycle: $14.1K$14.1K2024State House Republicans median $10.7K
Show the data
Shorma's receipts by cycle against the 2024 State House Republicans median.
ItemValue
2020 cycle$7,508
2022 cycle$12.3K
2024 cycle$14.1K

Top donor states, 2024

Itemized contributions by donor state. 100% came from South Dakota.

  1. South Dakota$400

Small donations

State filings report no total for small gifts.

Not reported in state filings.

Where itemized donors live

Individuals who gave more than $200, by donor state

Alaska: no dataAKMaine: no dataMEVermont: no dataVTNew Hampshire: no dataNHWashington: no dataWAIdaho: no dataIDMontana: no dataMTNorth Dakota: no dataNDMinnesota: no dataMNIllinois: no dataILWisconsin: no dataWIMichigan: no dataMINew York: no dataNYRhode Island: no dataRIMassachusetts: no dataMAOregon: no dataORNevada: no dataNVWyoming: no dataWYSouth Dakota: $400SDIowa: no dataIAIndiana: no dataINOhio: no dataOHPennsylvania: no dataPANew Jersey: no dataNJConnecticut: no dataCTCalifornia: no dataCAUtah: no dataUTColorado: no dataCONebraska: no dataNEMissouri: no dataMOKentucky: no dataKYWest Virginia: no dataWVVirginia: no dataVAMaryland: no dataMDDelaware: no dataDEArizona: no dataAZNew Mexico: no dataNMKansas: no dataKSArkansas: no dataARTennessee: no dataTNNorth Carolina: no dataNCSouth Carolina: no dataSCDistrict of Columbia: no dataDCOklahoma: no dataOKLouisiana: no dataLAMississippi: no dataMSAlabama: no dataALGeorgia: no dataGAHawaii: no dataHITexas: no dataTXFlorida: no dataFL
Show the data
Shorma's itemized individual contributions by donor state, 2024 cycle
StateValue
South Dakota$400
AlaskaNo data
MaineNo data
VermontNo data
New HampshireNo data
WashingtonNo data
IdahoNo data
MontanaNo data
North DakotaNo data
MinnesotaNo data
IllinoisNo data
WisconsinNo data
MichiganNo data
New YorkNo data
Rhode IslandNo data
MassachusettsNo data
OregonNo data
NevadaNo data
WyomingNo data
IowaNo data
IndianaNo data
OhioNo data
PennsylvaniaNo data
New JerseyNo data
ConnecticutNo data
CaliforniaNo data
UtahNo data
ColoradoNo data
NebraskaNo data
MissouriNo data
KentuckyNo data
West VirginiaNo data
VirginiaNo data
MarylandNo data
DelawareNo data
ArizonaNo data
New MexicoNo data
KansasNo data
ArkansasNo data
TennesseeNo data
North CarolinaNo data
South CarolinaNo data
District of ColumbiaNo data
OklahomaNo data
LouisianaNo data
MississippiNo data
AlabamaNo data
GeorgiaNo data
HawaiiNo data
TexasNo data
FloridaNo data
3

itemized donors

People who gave more than $200

100%

from South Dakota

Of itemized individual dollars

How to read the map

Every state the same size. Darker states gave more itemized money; hatched states had no itemized donors; the outlined state is South Dakota. Gifts of $200 or less carry no address and are left out.

Top donor occupations

Itemized, 2024 cycle.

No occupations reported.

Top committees

PAC and committee contributions, 2024 cycle.

  1. HOUSE GOP PAC$2,000
  2. SOUTH DAKOTA REALTORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$2,000
  3. MORT PAC$1,000
  4. SD CORN GROWERS ASSN PAC$1,000
  5. SD RPAC$1,000

Top employers

Itemized, 2024 cycle.

No employers reported.

Aggregates only. Individual donors are never named.

Back to topNext: Votes

Votes

Shorma voted with the majority of South Dakota House Republicans on 51% of party-line votes and missed 4.7% of 638 roll calls. South Dakota House on average: 76% party unity, 96.6% attendance. Across all roll calls, Shorma voted against the majority of South Dakota House Republicans 107 times.

638 roll calls Shorma could vote on in the SD 2025–26 session, compared with South Dakota House. Attendance is the share with a vote recorded. Party unity counts only party-line roll calls, where most Democrats and most Republicans voted on opposite sides, and is the share of those where Shorma voted with the majority of South Dakota House Republicans. The count of votes against that majority covers every roll call where the majority took a side.

107

votes against the majority of South Dakota House Republicans

Party unity 51%, South Dakota House average 76%, ranks 61st of 69. 638 roll calls in the SD 2025–26 session.

Attendance and party unity

The thick bar is Shorma, the thin grey bar the South Dakota House average. The scale runs from 50% to 100% to show the gap.

50%100%
Shorma
Peers
Rank
Attendance
95.3%
96.6%
57th of 70
Party unity
51%
76%
61st of 69
Show the data
Shorma's attendance and party unity against South Dakota House.
RowShormaPeers
Attendance95.3%96.6%
Party unity51%76%
What this means, and what it doesn’t

A missed roll call has many causes, from illness to campaigning, so attendance says how often, not why. A vote against the majority can be on procedure as well as substance, and many fall on roll calls where both parties split; the key votes below show the ones that decided something.

Key votes

25 roll calls the lab flagged as key in the SD 2025–26 session

Key votes
Party split (yea–nay)Why it’s key
Mar 12, 2026
SB 78
revise the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026.
Do Pass Amended
YeaWith majoritypassD 5–0 · R 46–15 · O 1–0Democrats 5 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 46 yea, 15 nay; Others 1 yea, 0 naybecame law · party crossover
Mar 12, 2026
HB 1051
revise property tax levies for school districts and to revise the state aid to general and special education formulas.
Do Pass Amended
YeaWith majoritypassD 5–0 · R 60–1 · O 1–0Democrats 5 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 60 yea, 1 nay; Others 1 yea, 0 naybecame law
Mar 12, 2026
HB 1326
appropriate money for the ordinary expenses of the legislative, judicial, and executive departments of the state, the current expenses of state institutions, interest on the public debt, and common schools.
Do Pass
YeaWith majoritypassD 5–0 · R 44–17 · O 1–0Democrats 5 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 44 yea, 17 nay; Others 1 yea, 0 naybecame law · party crossover
Mar 9, 2026
SB 219
require that a state agency consult with the Aeronautics Commission prior to purchasing, transferring, or disposing of a state owned and operated aircraft.
Do Pass Amended
NayAgainst majoritypassD 5–0 · R 61–2 · O 1–0Democrats 5 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 61 yea, 2 nay; Others 1 yea, 0 naybecame law
Mar 9, 2026
SB 245
create the homeowner property tax reduction fund, and to transfer moneys to the homeowner property tax reduction fund.
Do Pass Amended
NayAgainst majoritypassD 1–4 · R 40–23 · O 1–0Democrats 1 yea, 4 nay; Republicans 40 yea, 23 nay; Others 1 yea, 0 naybecame law · party crossover
How key votes are chosen

Automatically: a final-passage or override vote where the measure became law, the margin was under 10%, at least 10% of either party voted against its majority, or the bill was among the 25 most mentioned in officials’ own statements. Up to 25 per window, most recent first; five are shown. Bars show yea on the left, nay on the right, per party.

Votes most often with

The colleagues who voted the same way as Shorma most often

  1. Amber ArlintR603 shared votes93%
  2. Taylor RehfeldtR587 shared votes93%
  3. Tim ReischR578 shared votes93%
  4. Nick FosnessR293 shared votes92%
  5. Kent RoeR608 shared votes92%

Votes least often with

The colleagues who voted the same way as Shorma least often

  1. Tina MulallyR536 shared votes43%
  2. Phil JensenR604 shared votes49%
  3. Tony RandolphR576 shared votes50%
  4. Dylan JordanR600 shared votes51%
  5. Aaron AylwardR558 shared votes55%
How to read the agreement lists

The share of roll calls both members voted on where they voted the same way, among colleagues sharing at least 50 such votes. High agreement with members of the other party is common on routine votes.

Full voting record

SD 2025–26 session, loads in batches

Back to topNext: Legislation

Legislation

Shorma sponsored 52 bills in the SD 2025–26 session; 15 became law. Cosponsored 0 others. 63% of sponsored bills got out of committee (South Dakota House average 81%; 67th of 69).

The bills Shorma sponsored and cosponsored in the SD 2025–26 session, from the official bill records, and how far each got: introduced, referred to or acted on in committee, passed one chamber, passed both, became law. A bill counts at every stage it has reached, so the blocks only shrink to the right.

Bills by stage

Counts for the SD 2025–26 session

Sponsored52 billsSponsored, Introduced: 5252Sponsored, In committee: 4141Sponsored, Passed one chamber: 1919Sponsored, Passed both chambers: 1717Sponsored, Became law: 1515Cosponsored0 billsCosponsored, Introduced: 00Cosponsored, In committee: 00Cosponsored, Passed one chamber: 00Cosponsored, Passed both chambers: 00Cosponsored, Became law: 00IntroducedIncommitteePassed onechamberPassed bothchambersBecamelaw
Show the data
Bills Shorma sponsored and cosponsored, by furthest stage reached
RoleIntroducedIn committeePassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law
Sponsored5241191715
Cosponsored00000
How to read the blocks

Ink blocks are bills Shorma sponsored, ochre blocks bills Shorma cosponsored; the figure above each block is the count. Most bills in any legislature never leave committee, so a short staircase is the norm.

63%

of sponsored bills got out of committee

South Dakota House average 81%. Ranks 67th of 69.

Cosponsorship partners

Colleagues who most often cosponsor with Shorma, by number of shared bills in the SD 2025–26 session; the square shows their party.

  1. Carl Perry23
  2. Eric Emery21
  3. Scott Moore21
  4. Erik Muckey18
  5. Peri Pourier13
What this means, and what it doesn’t

The score is the share of sponsored bills that a committee reported out or a chamber passed, with at least 5 sponsored bills, ranked within the peer group. Members of the majority party and committee chairs move more bills, so the rank reflects position in the chamber as well as effort. Cosponsorship partners are the five colleagues who share the most of Shorma’s bills; the toggle shows more.

Bill list

Sponsored and cosponsored, with status and policy area; five are shown, the toggle shows the rest

Bills sponsored and cosponsored
HC 8025honoring the accomplishments of University of South Dakota women's basketball player Josie Hill.SponsorMar 4, 2026IntroducedUnassignedH.J. 517 Mar 4, 2026
HC 8024honoring the life and legacy of Elizabeth Cook-Lynn.SponsorMar 4, 2026IntroducedUnassignedH.J. 517 Mar 4, 2026
HC 8027celebrating the life and service of Barbara Dull Knife.SponsorMar 4, 2026IntroducedUnassignedH.J. 517 Mar 4, 2026
HC 8023honoring the legacy and strength of grandmothers in this state.SponsorMar 4, 2026IntroducedUnassignedH.J. 517 Mar 4, 2026
HC 8022recognizing the achievements, leadership, and lifelong public service of Cecelia Fire Thunder.SponsorMar 4, 2026IntroducedUnassignedH.J. 517 Mar 4, 2026

Back to topNext: Online

Online

A site that has not changed in 90 days. Shorma’s official site had 1 page when last crawled on Oct 1, 2026.

The lab crawls Shorma’s official and campaign websites (weekly for Congress, monthly for the states) and keeps every page’s text, so changes can be read later; it also records social accounts and describes the images Shorma posts with a vision model.

Websites

How to read the counts

“Pages crawled” is the size of the site at the last crawl; “changes in 90 days” counts pages whose text differed from the previous crawl. Sites change for many routine reasons, such as new press releases, so a high count is not by itself notable.

Images Shorma posted

No images from Shorma’s posts have been described.

About the descriptions

Written by a vision model and may be wrong. Open the post to see the original. Five are shown; the toggle shows the rest.

State floor speeches

No transcribed state floor speeches are matched to this legislator yet.

Floor speeches

Transcribed from chamber video or captions by the lab. They are not classified for kinds of statement.

Back to topNext: Methods and sources

Methods and sources

How this page was made. Profile built Oct 28, 2026; site last built Oct 28, 2026. Every number on the page is computed from the sources listed here, by the same rules for every official; nothing is written by hand.

The headline

The headline is the measure on which Shorma is most unusual among South Dakota House, chosen by one rule for every official of every party. The candidates are the rate of each kind of statement and of extreme labels, party unity, attendance, the small-donor share, the in-state share and total receipts of the latest cycle, the share of sponsored bills that got out of committee, talk-to-bills agreement, and the CSIP score’s place within the party group.

The builder ranks every measure within the same peer group the page compares it with, and writes each official’s percentile: the share of the group below the value, ties counting half, so 0.5 is the median and a value shared by many never ranks first. A measure’s score is how far that percentile sits from the median (0 in the middle, 0.5 at either end), and the highest score leads if it is above 0.25, outside the middle half of the group. Scores within 0.03 of each other are a tie, broken in this order: votes against the party majority, kinds of statement, ideology, roll calls missed, small donations, in-state money, legislation, agreement, extreme labels, receipts.

A measure counts only with at least 200 statements, 100 roll calls or 5 sponsored bills behind it and a peer group of at least 10. Two things never lead: high party unity or attendance, where most members sit, and a high rate of a kind of statement backed by fewer than 10 statements. When nothing qualifies, the headline is a neutral fact instead: statements classified, or years in office. The wording always names the direction (“in the bottom 5% of …”, “votes against the majority of …”).

Identifiers

Profile id
705bda08-a613-4be4-9c90-ac7e30eef6bf
Open States
ocd-person/705bda08-a613-4be4-9c90-ac7e30eef6bf

Bulk files with the same data for every official:

Freshness of this profile’s data

  • What politicians sayOct 27, 20261 days agoMembers of Congress: tweets since 2017; press releases, newsletters and floor speeches since 2022. State legislators: tweets since May 2024. Governors: tweets since January 2025. Labels from an LLM classifier.
  • Roll calls (state)Oct 21, 20267 days agoOpen States floor roll calls, 2019 on (none for AK and MO).
  • Bills (state)Oct 28, 2026todayOpen States bills and sponsors, 2019 on; stages from roll calls.
  • Campaign money (state)no dateState campaign-finance agencies, 2019 on; aggregates only.
  • Ideology (CSIP)Oct 25, 20263 days agoCommon-Space Ideal Points (CSIP), current validated run.
  • WebsitesOct 25, 20263 days agoWeekly crawls of federal sites since April 2026; monthly state crawls since June 2026.
  • State floor speechesOct 21, 20267 days agoState floor speech turns (published transcripts and captions), 2020 on; not LLM-classified.

How the measures work

What politicians say
Every post, press release, newsletter and congressional floor speech is read by a language model and marked for personal attacks, policy criticism, policy discussion, bipartisanship and credit claiming. A statement can be in several. Rates are shares of statements in the window. The methods paper.
Extreme labels
A statement has an extreme label when it calls a politician, party or policy “far left”, “far right”, “MAGA”, “extreme”, “radical”, “woke”, “fascist” or “communist”. The target is who the label is aimed at.
Policy areas and agreement
Statements and bills share 25 Congressional Research Service policy areas (state bills are assigned by a language model). Agreement is 1 − Jensen–Shannon distance between the two distributions, shown with at least 20 policy statements and 5 bills.
Ideology (CSIP)
Common-Space Ideal Points place federal and state officials on one left–right scale, estimated jointly from roll calls, campaign contributions and the text of statements, with standard errors. Only a validated run is shown. The methods paper.
Campaign money
Campaigns report by name only donors who give more than $200 in a cycle; smaller gifts are reported as one total. Federal totals and the small-donor share come from the FEC’s financial summaries of each campaign committee. Donor counts, donor states, employers and occupations cover itemized donors only. State filings report no small-gift totals, so state figures are itemized only. The lab never publishes donor names.
Votes and key votes
Attendance, party unity and the count of votes against the majority of an official’s own party come from roll calls (Voteview for Congress, chamber records for the states). Key votes are final-passage or override votes that became law, were decided by under 10%, saw at least 10% of a party vote against its majority, or concerned one of the 25 bills most mentioned in officials’ statements.
Peers and ranks
Comparisons are with the same party, chamber and level (for example House Democrats); state legislators are compared within their state and chamber for votes. Every comparison names its group. Rank 1 is the highest value in the group; tied values share the average of their ranks, and the percentile is the share of the group below the value, ties counting half.

America’s Political Pulse · Polarization Research Lab

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