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Democrat · Minnesota Senate, district 36

Serving since Jan 3, 2023MN 2025–26 session

Portrait of Heather Gustafson, rendered as a two-tone print
Official portrait
5.5×
the State Senate Democrat rate of bipartisan language

19% of 219 statements use bipartisan language (41 statements); the average for State Senate Democrats is 3.4%. Ranks 4th of 329, where 1st is the highest rate.

An AI model reads each of Gustafson’s posts on X and marks whether it stresses working across party lines. The rate is the share of statements marked; it is compared with the average among State Senate Democrats and ranked against the same group.

At a glance

6 measures against State Senate Democrats. -1.5% of Gustafson’s itemized money in the 2026 cycle came from Minnesota, in the bottom 5% of State Senate Democrats. 26% of Gustafson’s statements claim credit, 1.6 times the State Senate Democrat average of 16%.

The measures on which Gustafson sits furthest from the middle of State Senate Democrats, each against the same group, with the CSIP score when there is one. Every number is explained in its own section below.

Bipartisanship

19%

State Senate Democrats average 3.4% · ranks 4th of 329

From Minnesota, 2026

-1.5%

Of itemized individual dollars · ranks 713th of 714 State Senate Democrats

Credit claiming

26%

State Senate Democrats average 16% · ranks 67th of 329

Extreme labels

0%

State Senate Democrats average 0.8% · ranks 228th of 329

Policy criticism

12%

State Senate Democrats average 10% · ranks 113th of 329

CSIP ideology

−0.60

Left of 0, the centre of the scale · ± 0.08

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

Back to topNext: What politicians say

What Gustafson says

Gustafson stresses bipartisanship more than 98% of State Senate Democrats. Bipartisanship in 19% of 219 statements, against 3.4% for the average State Senate Democrat; 4th of 329.

An AI model reads each of Gustafson’s 219 statements in the MN 2025–26 session (219 posts on X) and marks the kinds of statement it contains: a personal attack, criticism of a policy, discussion of policy, bipartisanship, credit claiming, and extreme labels. A statement can carry several. Every rate is compared with the average for State Senate Democrats and ranked among them.

Kinds of statement

Share of statements carrying each label, the MN 2025–26 session

0%80%
Gustafson
Peers
Rank
Policy discussion93 statements
42%
43%
173rd of 329
Credit claiming56 statements
26%
16%
67th of 329
Bipartisanship41 statements
19%
3%
4th of 329
Policy criticism26 statements
12%
10%
113th of 329
Personal attacks3 statements
1%
2%
122nd of 329
Show the data
Gustafson's share of statements in each category against the State Senate Democrats average.
RowGustafsonPeers
Policy discussion42%43%
Credit claiming26%16%
Bipartisanship19%3%
Policy criticism12%10%
Personal attacks1%2%
219

statements classified

219 posts on X.

posts on X: 219 (100.0%)posts on X 219
Show the data
Gustafson's statements by source
PartValue
posts on X219
How to read the bars

The thick bar is Gustafson; the thin grey bar is the average State Senate Democrats. A longer thick bar means Gustafson does this more than peers. Rank 1 is the highest rate in the group.

Extreme labels

Gustafson used no extreme labels in 219 statements. The peer average is 0.8%.

No extreme labels in this window.

Who gets the labels

Targets named alongside an extreme label, by number of statements

No targets recorded.

What an extreme label is

Calls a politician, a party or a policy “far left”, “far right”, “MAGA”, “extreme”, “radical”, “woke”, “fascist” or “communist”. The target is who or what the label was aimed at. The lists show the five most used labels and targets; the toggle shows the rest.

Month by month

Share of statements per month, the MN 2025–26 session

Statements2025-01: 372025-02: 142025-03: 122025-04: 172025-05: 182025-06: 122025-07: 72025-08: 92025-09: 92025-10: 102025-11: 112025-12: 52026-01: 102026-02: 132026-03: 92026-04: 62026-05: 82026-06: 72026-07: 12026-08: 42026-09: 02026-10: 0peak 37 · Jan ’25Personal attackspeak 9.1% · Nov ’25 · latest 0.0%Personal attacks, 2025-01: 0.0% of 37Personal attacks, 2025-02: 7.1% of 14Personal attacks, 2025-03: 0.0% of 12Personal attacks, 2025-04: 5.9% of 17Personal attacks, 2025-05: 0.0% of 18Personal attacks, 2025-06: 0.0% of 12Personal attacks, 2025-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2025-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2025-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2025-10: 0.0% of 10Personal attacks, 2025-11: 9.1% of 11Personal attacks, 2025-12: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-01: 0.0% of 10Personal attacks, 2026-02: 0.0% of 13Personal attacks, 2026-03: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-04: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-05: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-06: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Personal attacks, 2026-10: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticismpeak 33.3% · Mar ’25 · latest 0.0%Policy criticism, 2025-01: 5.4% of 37Policy criticism, 2025-02: 21.4% of 14Policy criticism, 2025-03: 33.3% of 12Policy criticism, 2025-04: 11.8% of 17Policy criticism, 2025-05: 11.1% of 18Policy criticism, 2025-06: 8.3% of 12Policy criticism, 2025-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2025-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2025-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2025-10: 30.0% of 10Policy criticism, 2025-11: 0.0% of 11Policy criticism, 2025-12: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-01: 30.0% of 10Policy criticism, 2026-02: 0.0% of 13Policy criticism, 2026-03: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-04: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-05: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-06: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy criticism, 2026-10: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussionpeak 75.0% · Mar ’25 · latest 46.2%Policy discussion, 2025-01: 29.7% of 37Policy discussion, 2025-02: 71.4% of 14Policy discussion, 2025-03: 75.0% of 12Policy discussion, 2025-04: 41.2% of 17Policy discussion, 2025-05: 55.6% of 18Policy discussion, 2025-06: 25.0% of 12Policy discussion, 2025-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2025-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2025-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2025-10: 60.0% of 10Policy discussion, 2025-11: 18.2% of 11Policy discussion, 2025-12: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-01: 50.0% of 10Policy discussion, 2026-02: 46.2% of 13Policy discussion, 2026-03: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-04: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-05: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-06: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Policy discussion, 2026-10: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanshippeak 30.0% · Oct ’25 · latest 23.1%Bipartisanship, 2025-01: 13.5% of 37Bipartisanship, 2025-02: 14.3% of 14Bipartisanship, 2025-03: 16.7% of 12Bipartisanship, 2025-04: 11.8% of 17Bipartisanship, 2025-05: 22.2% of 18Bipartisanship, 2025-06: 16.7% of 12Bipartisanship, 2025-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2025-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2025-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2025-10: 30.0% of 10Bipartisanship, 2025-11: 27.3% of 11Bipartisanship, 2025-12: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-01: 0.0% of 10Bipartisanship, 2026-02: 23.1% of 13Bipartisanship, 2026-03: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-04: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-05: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-06: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Bipartisanship, 2026-10: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claimingpeak 50.0% · Oct ’25 · latest 38.5%Credit claiming, 2025-01: 21.6% of 37Credit claiming, 2025-02: 35.7% of 14Credit claiming, 2025-03: 25.0% of 12Credit claiming, 2025-04: 17.6% of 17Credit claiming, 2025-05: 33.3% of 18Credit claiming, 2025-06: 16.7% of 12Credit claiming, 2025-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2025-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2025-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2025-10: 50.0% of 10Credit claiming, 2025-11: 18.2% of 11Credit claiming, 2025-12: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-01: 0.0% of 10Credit claiming, 2026-02: 38.5% of 13Credit claiming, 2026-03: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-04: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-05: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-06: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Credit claiming, 2026-10: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labelspeak 0.0% · Jan ’25 · latest 0.0%Extreme labels, 2025-01: 0.0% of 37Extreme labels, 2025-02: 0.0% of 14Extreme labels, 2025-03: 0.0% of 12Extreme labels, 2025-04: 0.0% of 17Extreme labels, 2025-05: 0.0% of 18Extreme labels, 2025-06: 0.0% of 12Extreme labels, 2025-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2025-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2025-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2025-10: 0.0% of 10Extreme labels, 2025-11: 0.0% of 11Extreme labels, 2025-12: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-01: 0.0% of 10Extreme labels, 2026-02: 0.0% of 13Extreme labels, 2026-03: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-04: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-05: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-06: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-07: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-08: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-09: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Extreme labels, 2026-10: not plotted (fewer than 10 statements)Jan ’25Jul ’25Jan ’26Jul ’26Oct ’26
Show the data
Monthly rates for Gustafson, each row shaded against its own peak, with statement volume. Months with fewer than 10 statements are left blank.
ColumnStatementsPersonal attacksPolicy criticismPolicy discussionBipartisanshipCredit claimingExtreme labels
Jan ’25370.0%5.4%29.7%13.5%21.6%0.0%
Feb ’25147.1%21.4%71.4%14.3%35.7%0.0%
Mar ’25120.0%33.3%75.0%16.7%25.0%0.0%
Apr ’25175.9%11.8%41.2%11.8%17.6%0.0%
May ’25180.0%11.1%55.6%22.2%33.3%0.0%
Jun ’25120.0%8.3%25.0%16.7%16.7%0.0%
Jul ’257— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Aug ’259— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Sep ’259— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Oct ’25100.0%30.0%60.0%30.0%50.0%0.0%
Nov ’25119.1%0.0%18.2%27.3%18.2%0.0%
Dec ’255— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Jan ’26100.0%30.0%50.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Feb ’26130.0%0.0%46.2%23.1%38.5%0.0%
Mar ’269— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Apr ’266— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
May ’268— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Jun ’267— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Jul ’261— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Aug ’264— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Sep ’260— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
Oct ’260— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)— (fewer than 10 statements)
How to read the strips

Each row is one kind of statement; each cell is a month, shaded against that row’s own peak (darker = closer to the peak), with the peak and the latest value written at the right. The top row counts statements. The strip covers every month of the MN 2025–26 session, the same span as the rates above, including months with no statements. A month with fewer than 10 statements is hatched, not shaded: one or two posts would swing its rate to 0% or 100%. 12 months are hatched here; 2 of them have no statements.

In Gustafson’s words

Real statements from the classifier’s example set, with the labels it assigned

Credit claiming

The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

Aug 21, 2026 · Posts on X (state legislators) · policy discussion; credit claiming; Families · Source

Personal attacks

The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

Nov 24, 2025 · Posts on X (state legislators) · personal attacks; bipartisanship; target: Demuth · Source

Bipartisanship

The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

Aug 28, 2026 · Posts on X (state legislators) · policy discussion; bipartisanship; Government Operations and Politics · Source

Examples by category

Up to five recent statements in each category

Category

Overtly questions a named person’s character, integrity or loyalty, or calls them names. Criticising a record or a policy does not count.

  1. Posts on X (state legislators)

    The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

    personal attacks · bipartisanship · target: DemuthSource

  2. Posts on X (state legislators)

    The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

    personal attacks · target: manSource

  3. Posts on X (state legislators)

    The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

    personal attacks · policy discussion · Agriculture and Food · target: TrumpSource

All 219 statements

Newest first, the MN 2025–26 session

The full feed

Five statements at a time, newest first; filters apply to the statements loaded so far. Export saves the statements that match. Sources: 219 posts on X.

Back to topNext: Policy

Policy

Government Operations and Politics is what Gustafson talks about most: 34% of policy statements, 2.3 times the peer share. Talk and legislation agree at 0.53 on a 0–1 scale (State Senate Democrats average 0.56; 147th of 228).

Each policy statement is tagged by the AI model with one or more of 25 policy areas from the Congressional Research Service list, so the shares say what Gustafson talks about. The bills Gustafson sponsors and cosponsors carry the same areas, so the two can be compared.

What Gustafson talks about

Share of policy statements by area, the MN 2025–26 session

0%37%
Gustafson
Peers
Government Operations and Politics31 statements
34%
14%
Education22 statements
24%
15%
Economics and Public Finance12 statements
13%
10%
Crime and Law Enforcement11 statements
12%
8%
Agriculture and Food10 statements
11%
5%
Show the data
Policy areas Gustafson talks about, as a share of policy statements, against the State Senate Democrats average.
RowGustafsonPeers
Government Operations and Politics34%14%
Education24%15%
Economics and Public Finance13%10%
Crime and Law Enforcement12%8%
Agriculture and Food11%5%
How to read the bars

The thick bar is the share of Gustafson’s policy statements in an area; the thin grey bar is the average share for State Senate Democrats. A statement counts once in each of its areas, so shares can add to more than 100%. The five largest areas are shown; the toggle shows the rest.

Talks about · legislates on

Left: share of statements by policy area. Right: share of bills. Areas in order of their share of statements; both sides run from 0 to 37%. Grey ticks are the State Senate Democrats averages.

Talks aboutLegislates onGovernment Operations andPoliticsGovernment Operations and Politics, talks about: 34% (State Senate Democrats 14%)34%Government Operations and Politics, legislates on: 6% (State Senate Democrats 8%)6%EducationEducation, talks about: 24% (State Senate Democrats 15%)24%Education, legislates on: 14% (State Senate Democrats 9%)14%Economics and Public FinanceEconomics and Public Finance, talks about: 13% (State Senate Democrats 10%)13%Economics and Public Finance, legislates on: 0% (State Senate Democrats 3%)0%Crime and Law EnforcementCrime and Law Enforcement, talks about: 12% (State Senate Democrats 8%)12%Crime and Law Enforcement, legislates on: 13% (State Senate Democrats 9%)13%Agriculture and FoodAgriculture and Food, talks about: 11% (State Senate Democrats 5%)11%Agriculture and Food, legislates on: 10% (State Senate Democrats 3%)10%
Show the data
Gustafson's share of statements against share of bills in each policy area.
AreaTalks aboutState Senate Democrats, talks aboutLegislates onState Senate Democrats, legislates on
Government Operations and Politics34%14%6%8%
Education24%15%14%9%
Economics and Public Finance13%10%0%3%
Crime and Law Enforcement12%8%13%9%
Agriculture and Food11%5%10%3%
0.53

talk-to-bills agreement, 0 to 1

State Senate Democrats average 0.56. Ranks 147th of 228.

What agreement means, and what it doesn’t

Agreement is 1 minus the distance between the two distributions (Jensen–Shannon): 1 means Gustafson legislates on exactly the areas Gustafson talks about, in the same proportions; 0 means no overlap. It does not say whether the bills match the positions in the statements, only the subjects. Bills Gustafson sponsored count fully, cosponsored bills a quarter. Shown with at least 20 policy statements and 5 bills.

Back to topNext: Ideology

Ideology

Gustafson sits at −0.60 on the CSIP scale, left of 0, more conservative than 59% of State Senate Democrats. Approximate range −0.68 to −0.52, which understates the uncertainty; from 162 donors and 123 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”.

−0.60

CSIP ideal point

Approximate range −0.68 to −0.52. From 162 donors and 123 roll calls. Run 2026-10-25T215945. Blue is left of 0, red right of 0.

← More liberalMore conservative →0Gustafson −0.6State Senate Democrats −0.7Minnesota Senate −0.3All State Senate +0.1

The outlined dot is Gustafson, 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 Gustafson’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 Gustafson sits

Every official in each group, on the CSIP scale

−2.0−1.00.0+1.0+2.0← More liberalMore conservative →State Senate Democratsmedian −0.7Gustafson −0.6Minnesota Senatemedian −0.3All State Senatemedian +0.1
Show the data
Gustafson's CSIP score of −0.60 placed against State Senate Democrats, Minnesota Senate, All State Senate.
GroupOfficialsMedianShare left of Gustafson
State Senate Democrats825−0.759%
Minnesota Senate67−0.336%
All State Senate1909+0.125%
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 Gustafson 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 Gustafson.

Back to topNext: Money

Money

Gustafson reported $64.5K in the 2026 cycle, above the State Senate Democrats’ median of $55.5K. State filings report no small-donation total. -1.5% of itemized individual money came from Minnesota.

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
$64.5K

itemized in the 2026 cycle

From 72 itemized donors. State Senate Democrats’ median $55.5K.

Where the money came from

Each square is one percent of itemized contributions in the 2026 cycle.

Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)Individuals (itemized): $39.3K (60.9%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)PACs and other committees: $17.7K (27.5%)Party committees: $7,500 (11.6%)Party committees: $7,500 (11.6%)Party committees: $7,500 (11.6%)Party committees: $7,500 (11.6%)Party committees: $7,500 (11.6%)Party committees: $7,500 (11.6%)Party committees: $7,500 (11.6%)Party committees: $7,500 (11.6%)Party committees: $7,500 (11.6%)Party committees: $7,500 (11.6%)Party committees: $7,500 (11.6%)Party committees: $7,500 (11.6%)
  • Individuals (itemized)61 squares$39.3K
  • PACs and other committees27 squares$17.7K
  • Party committees12 squares$7,500
Show the data
Sources of Gustafson's money, 2026 cycle, one square per percent
SourceAmountShare
Individuals (itemized)$39.3K60.9%
PACs and other committees$17.7K27.5%
Party committees$7,50011.6%
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, 2022 to 2026. The grey line is the State Senate Democrats’ median for 2026.

2022 cycle: $84.7K$84.7K20222024 cycle: $33.7K$33.7K20242026 cycle: $64.5K$64.5K2026State Senate Democrats median $55.5K
Show the data
Gustafson's receipts by cycle against the 2026 State Senate Democrats median.
ItemValue
2022 cycle$84.7K
2024 cycle$33.7K
2026 cycle$64.5K

Top donor states, 2026

Itemized contributions by donor state. -1.5% came from Minnesota.

No itemized donors with an address.

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: no dataSDIowa: 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
Gustafson's itemized individual contributions by donor state, 2026 cycle
StateValue
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
South DakotaNo 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
72

itemized donors

People who gave more than $200

-1.5%

from Minnesota

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 Minnesota. Gifts of $200 or less carry no address and are left out.

Top donor occupations

Itemized, 2026 cycle.

No occupations reported.

Top committees

PAC and committee contributions, 2026 cycle.

  1. 36TH SENATE DISTRICT DFL$7,000
  2. INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS$1,000
  3. MAPE-PAC$1,000
  4. MN LOCAL BUSINESS ALLIANCE PAC$1,000
  5. MN PIPE TRADES ASSN PAC FUND$1,000

Top employers

Itemized, 2026 cycle.

  1. LOBBYIST$1,450 3 donors

Aggregates only. Individual donors are never named.

Back to topNext: Votes

Votes

Gustafson voted with the majority of Minnesota Senate Democrats on 98.3% of party-line votes and missed none of 153 roll calls. Minnesota Senate on average: 93.0% party unity, 100% attendance. Across all roll calls, Gustafson voted against the majority of Minnesota Senate Democrats 2 times.

153 roll calls Gustafson could vote on in the MN 2025–26 session, compared with Minnesota Senate. 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 Gustafson voted with the majority of Minnesota Senate Democrats. The count of votes against that majority covers every roll call where the majority took a side.

2

votes against the majority of Minnesota Senate Democrats

Party unity 98.3%, Minnesota Senate average 93.0%, ranks 23rd of 67. 153 roll calls in the MN 2025–26 session.

Attendance and party unity

The thick bar is Gustafson, the thin grey bar the Minnesota Senate average. The scale runs from 80% to 100% to show the gap.

80%100%
Gustafson
Peers
Rank
Attendance
100%
100%
34th of 67
Party unity
98.3%
93.0%
23rd of 67
Show the data
Gustafson's attendance and party unity against Minnesota Senate.
RowGustafsonPeers
Attendance100%100%
Party unity98.3%93.0%
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 MN 2025–26 session

Key votes
Party split (yea–nay)Why it’s key
May 17, 2026
SF 3967
Due date of the pediatric hospital-to-home transition pilot program report modification
Third reading Passed as amended
YeaWith majoritypassD 34–0 · R 6–27Democrats 34 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 6 yea, 27 nayparty crossover
May 17, 2026
HF 3629
Program payment withholding provided for credible allegation of fraud, grant management provisions changed, and program integrity reports required.
Third reading Passed as amended
YeaWith majoritypassD 34–0 · R 33–0Democrats 34 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 33 yea, 0 naybecame law
May 17, 2026
HF 719
Safe routes to school grant program funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
Third reading Passed
YeaWith majoritypassD 34–0 · R 26–7Democrats 34 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 26 yea, 7 naybecame law · party crossover
May 17, 2026
HF 4492
Read Act modified, early literacy field experiences required for teacher candidates, high school diploma established for veterans, and rulemaking required.
Third reading Passed as amended
YeaWith majoritypassD 34–0 · R 33–0Democrats 34 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 33 yea, 0 naybecame law
May 17, 2026
HF 2484
Bonding bill; spending authorized to acquire and better land and buildings and for other improvements of a capital nature, new programs established and existing programs modified, report required, prior appropriations modified and canceled, and money appropriated.
Third reading Passed
YeaWith majoritypassD 34–0 · R 16–17Democrats 34 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 16 yea, 17 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 Gustafson most often

  1. Aric PutnamD151 shared votes100%
  2. Bonnie WestlinD153 shared votes99%
  3. Erin MurphyD153 shared votes99%
  4. Bobby Joe ChampionD153 shared votes99%
  5. Steve CwodzinskiD153 shared votes99%

Votes least often with

The colleagues who voted the same way as Gustafson least often

  1. Eric LuceroR149 shared votes39%
  2. Cal BahrR150 shared votes39%
  3. Nathan WesenbergR152 shared votes41%
  4. Bruce AndersonR53 shared votes42%
  5. Bill LieskeR151 shared votes42%
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

MN 2025–26 session, loads in batches

Back to topNext: Legislation

Legislation

Gustafson sponsored 75 bills in the MN 2025–26 session; 1 became law. Cosponsored 123 others. 1.3% of sponsored bills got out of committee (Minnesota Senate average 3.1%; 33rd of 67).

The bills Gustafson sponsored and cosponsored in the MN 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 MN 2025–26 session

Sponsored75 billsSponsored, Introduced: 7575Sponsored, In committee: 7575Sponsored, Passed one chamber: 11Sponsored, Passed both chambers: 11Sponsored, Became law: 11Cosponsored123 billsCosponsored, Introduced: 123123Cosponsored, In committee: 123123Cosponsored, Passed one chamber: 55Cosponsored, Passed both chambers: 44Cosponsored, Became law: 44IntroducedIncommitteePassed onechamberPassed bothchambersBecamelaw
Show the data
Bills Gustafson sponsored and cosponsored, by furthest stage reached
RoleIntroducedIn committeePassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law
Sponsored7575111
Cosponsored123123544
How to read the blocks

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

1.3%

of sponsored bills got out of committee

Minnesota Senate average 3.1%. Ranks 33rd of 67.

Cosponsorship partners

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

  1. Michael Kreun33
  2. Zach Duckworth25
  3. Karin Housley25
  4. Jim Abeler25
  5. Rob Kupec23
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 Gustafson’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
SF 5301Minnesota Entrepreneurship Task Force establishmentSponsorMay 16, 2026In committeeCommerce(model)Referred to Jobs and Economic Development May 16, 2026
SF 5288Per diem payments prohibition during a regular session of the legislatureCosponsorMay 12, 2026In committeeGovernment Operations and Politics(model)Author added Boldon May 15, 2026
SF 5274Anonymous threat reporting system grants to schools provision and appropriationCosponsorMay 11, 2026In committeeEducation(model)Author added Gustafson May 16, 2026
SF 5226School board members training requirements modificationsCosponsorApr 27, 2026In committeeEducation(model)Referred to Education Policy Apr 27, 2026
SF 5193Certain individuals and organizations convicted of and benefiting from fraud tax establishmentCosponsorApr 21, 2026In committeeTaxation(model)Referred to Taxes Apr 21, 2026

Back to topNext: Online

Online

A site that changed 1 time in 90 days. Gustafson’s official site had 1 page when last crawled on Oct 1, 2026.

The lab crawls Gustafson’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 Gustafson 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 Gustafson posted

No images from Gustafson’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

76 turns, Mar 2, 2023 to May 16, 2026

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 Gustafson is most unusual among State Senate Democrats, 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
9411a121-c47d-431a-b407-88ff5c891c5f
Open States
ocd-person/9411a121-c47d-431a-b407-88ff5c891c5f

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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