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Democrat · U.S. Senate, Maryland

Serving since Jan 3, 2017119th Congress (2025–27)next election Nov 7, 2028

Bioguide V000128FEC H2MD08126, S6MD03441

Portrait of Chris Van Hollen, rendered as a two-tone print
Official portrait
2.1×
the Senate Democrat rate of personal attacks

23% of 2,614 statements contain a personal attack (591 statements); the average for Senate Democrats is 11%. Ranks 2nd of 45, where 1st is the highest rate.

An AI model reads each of Hollen’s posts on X, press releases, Congressional Record speeches and newsletters and marks whether it attacks a person’s character, integrity or loyalty. The rate is the share of statements marked; it is compared with the average among Senate Democrats and ranked against the same group.

At a glance

6 measures against Senate Democrats. 7.2% of Hollen’s individual money in the 2026 cycle came in gifts of $200 or less, in the bottom quarter of Senate Democrats (median 35%). 43% of Hollen’s statements criticize a policy, in the top quarter of Senate Democrats (average 37%).

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

Personal attacks

23%

Senate Democrats average 11% · ranks 2nd of 45

Party unity

100%

Senate Democrats average 95.3% · ranks 2nd of 45 · 31 votes against the majority of Senate Democrats

Small donations, 2026

7.2%

Senate Democrats’ median 35% · ranks 40th of 45

Policy criticism

43%

Senate Democrats average 37% · ranks 9th of 45

Bipartisanship

11%

Senate Democrats average 18% · ranks 37th of 45

CSIP ideology

−1.30

Left of 0, the centre of the scale · ± 0.01

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

Back to topNext: What politicians say

What Hollen says

Hollen attacks opponents personally more than 95% of Senate Democrats. Personal attacks in 23% of 2,614 statements, against 11% for the average Senate Democrat; 2nd of 45.

An AI model reads each of Hollen’s 2,614 statements in the 119th Congress (1,794 posts on X, 614 press releases, 194 Congressional Record speeches, 12 newsletters) 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 Senate Democrats and ranked among them.

Kinds of statement

Share of statements carrying each label, the 119th Congress

0%80%
Hollen
Peers
Rank
Policy discussion2,155 statements
82%
78%
15th of 45
Policy criticism1,121 statements
43%
37%
9th of 45
Personal attacks591 statements
23%
11%
2nd of 45
Credit claiming478 statements
18%
26%
37th of 45
Bipartisanship278 statements
11%
18%
37th of 45
Show the data
Hollen's share of statements in each category against the Senate Democrats average.
RowHollenPeers
Policy discussion82%78%
Policy criticism43%37%
Personal attacks23%11%
Credit claiming18%26%
Bipartisanship11%18%
2,614

statements classified

1,794 posts on X, 614 press releases, 194 Congressional Record speeches, 12 newsletters.

posts on X: 1,794 (68.6%)posts on X 1,794press releases: 614 (23.5%)press releases 614Congressional Record speeches: 194 (7.4%)newsletters: 12 (0.5%)
Show the data
Hollen's statements by source
PartValue
posts on X1,794
press releases614
Congressional Record speeches194
newsletters12
How to read the bars

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

Extreme labels

Hollen used extreme labels in 4.3% of statements, 1.8 times the peer average. 113 statements, most often aimed at Trump; peers 2.4%.

  1. “extreme”29
  2. “MAGA”9
  3. “far right”8
  4. “radical”6
  5. “fascist”4

Who gets the labels

Targets named alongside an extreme label, by number of statements

  1. Trump17
  2. Donald Trump9
  3. Republicans7
  4. Trump Administration4
  5. Administration2
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 119th Congress

Statements2025-01: 1112025-02: 1672025-03: 1552025-04: 1342025-05: 1272025-06: 1432025-07: 1372025-08: 1212025-09: 1142025-10: 1472025-11: 912025-12: 842026-01: 1042026-02: 1192026-03: 1212026-04: 1242026-05: 1082026-06: 1142026-07: 1052026-08: 982026-09: 1152026-10: 75peak 167 · Feb ’25Personal attackspeak 32.3% · Feb ’25 · latest 17.3%Personal attacks, 2025-01: 12.6% of 111Personal attacks, 2025-02: 32.3% of 167Personal attacks, 2025-03: 28.4% of 155Personal attacks, 2025-04: 23.1% of 134Personal attacks, 2025-05: 23.6% of 127Personal attacks, 2025-06: 21.0% of 143Personal attacks, 2025-07: 19.0% of 137Personal attacks, 2025-08: 15.7% of 121Personal attacks, 2025-09: 22.8% of 114Personal attacks, 2025-10: 25.2% of 147Personal attacks, 2025-11: 24.2% of 91Personal attacks, 2025-12: 29.8% of 84Personal attacks, 2026-01: 29.8% of 104Personal attacks, 2026-02: 22.7% of 119Personal attacks, 2026-03: 17.4% of 121Personal attacks, 2026-04: 25.0% of 124Personal attacks, 2026-05: 18.5% of 108Personal attacks, 2026-06: 13.2% of 114Personal attacks, 2026-07: 21.9% of 105Personal attacks, 2026-08: 27.6% of 98Personal attacks, 2026-09: 21.7% of 115Personal attacks, 2026-10: 17.3% of 75Policy criticismpeak 60.5% · Jun ’26 · latest 21.3%Policy criticism, 2025-01: 42.3% of 111Policy criticism, 2025-02: 41.3% of 167Policy criticism, 2025-03: 35.5% of 155Policy criticism, 2025-04: 50.7% of 134Policy criticism, 2025-05: 44.1% of 127Policy criticism, 2025-06: 50.3% of 143Policy criticism, 2025-07: 55.5% of 137Policy criticism, 2025-08: 52.9% of 121Policy criticism, 2025-09: 43.0% of 114Policy criticism, 2025-10: 46.3% of 147Policy criticism, 2025-11: 57.1% of 91Policy criticism, 2025-12: 23.8% of 84Policy criticism, 2026-01: 20.2% of 104Policy criticism, 2026-02: 55.5% of 119Policy criticism, 2026-03: 55.4% of 121Policy criticism, 2026-04: 33.9% of 124Policy criticism, 2026-05: 45.4% of 108Policy criticism, 2026-06: 60.5% of 114Policy criticism, 2026-07: 36.2% of 105Policy criticism, 2026-08: 21.4% of 98Policy criticism, 2026-09: 31.3% of 115Policy criticism, 2026-10: 21.3% of 75Policy discussionpeak 96.0% · Oct ’26 · latest 96.0%Policy discussion, 2025-01: 79.3% of 111Policy discussion, 2025-02: 77.3% of 167Policy discussion, 2025-03: 72.9% of 155Policy discussion, 2025-04: 82.8% of 134Policy discussion, 2025-05: 83.5% of 127Policy discussion, 2025-06: 79.0% of 143Policy discussion, 2025-07: 89.0% of 137Policy discussion, 2025-08: 74.4% of 121Policy discussion, 2025-09: 72.8% of 114Policy discussion, 2025-10: 72.8% of 147Policy discussion, 2025-11: 80.2% of 91Policy discussion, 2025-12: 84.5% of 84Policy discussion, 2026-01: 95.2% of 104Policy discussion, 2026-02: 76.5% of 119Policy discussion, 2026-03: 80.2% of 121Policy discussion, 2026-04: 92.7% of 124Policy discussion, 2026-05: 77.8% of 108Policy discussion, 2026-06: 85.1% of 114Policy discussion, 2026-07: 87.6% of 105Policy discussion, 2026-08: 94.9% of 98Policy discussion, 2026-09: 94.8% of 115Policy discussion, 2026-10: 96.0% of 75Bipartisanshippeak 19.7% · Jul ’25 · latest 5.3%Bipartisanship, 2025-01: 13.5% of 111Bipartisanship, 2025-02: 8.4% of 167Bipartisanship, 2025-03: 16.1% of 155Bipartisanship, 2025-04: 9.0% of 134Bipartisanship, 2025-05: 14.2% of 127Bipartisanship, 2025-06: 5.6% of 143Bipartisanship, 2025-07: 19.7% of 137Bipartisanship, 2025-08: 14.1% of 121Bipartisanship, 2025-09: 6.1% of 114Bipartisanship, 2025-10: 8.2% of 147Bipartisanship, 2025-11: 13.2% of 91Bipartisanship, 2025-12: 10.7% of 84Bipartisanship, 2026-01: 10.6% of 104Bipartisanship, 2026-02: 7.6% of 119Bipartisanship, 2026-03: 10.7% of 121Bipartisanship, 2026-04: 12.9% of 124Bipartisanship, 2026-05: 4.6% of 108Bipartisanship, 2026-06: 14.9% of 114Bipartisanship, 2026-07: 10.5% of 105Bipartisanship, 2026-08: 4.1% of 98Bipartisanship, 2026-09: 10.4% of 115Bipartisanship, 2026-10: 5.3% of 75Credit claimingpeak 33.3% · Jan ’25 · latest 13.3%Credit claiming, 2025-01: 33.3% of 111Credit claiming, 2025-02: 15.6% of 167Credit claiming, 2025-03: 18.1% of 155Credit claiming, 2025-04: 9.7% of 134Credit claiming, 2025-05: 20.5% of 127Credit claiming, 2025-06: 9.8% of 143Credit claiming, 2025-07: 19.0% of 137Credit claiming, 2025-08: 18.2% of 121Credit claiming, 2025-09: 27.2% of 114Credit claiming, 2025-10: 12.2% of 147Credit claiming, 2025-11: 20.9% of 91Credit claiming, 2025-12: 25.0% of 84Credit claiming, 2026-01: 22.1% of 104Credit claiming, 2026-02: 11.8% of 119Credit claiming, 2026-03: 18.2% of 121Credit claiming, 2026-04: 22.6% of 124Credit claiming, 2026-05: 19.4% of 108Credit claiming, 2026-06: 22.8% of 114Credit claiming, 2026-07: 13.3% of 105Credit claiming, 2026-08: 15.3% of 98Credit claiming, 2026-09: 20.9% of 115Credit claiming, 2026-10: 13.3% of 75Extreme labelspeak 13.6% · Oct ’25 · latest 1.3%Extreme labels, 2025-01: 3.6% of 111Extreme labels, 2025-02: 3.6% of 167Extreme labels, 2025-03: 3.2% of 155Extreme labels, 2025-04: 3.7% of 134Extreme labels, 2025-05: 7.1% of 127Extreme labels, 2025-06: 6.3% of 143Extreme labels, 2025-07: 2.2% of 137Extreme labels, 2025-08: 5.0% of 121Extreme labels, 2025-09: 9.7% of 114Extreme labels, 2025-10: 13.6% of 147Extreme labels, 2025-11: 2.2% of 91Extreme labels, 2025-12: 1.2% of 84Extreme labels, 2026-01: 6.7% of 104Extreme labels, 2026-02: 7.6% of 119Extreme labels, 2026-03: 3.3% of 121Extreme labels, 2026-04: 0.0% of 124Extreme labels, 2026-05: 5.6% of 108Extreme labels, 2026-06: 1.8% of 114Extreme labels, 2026-07: 0.0% of 105Extreme labels, 2026-08: 1.0% of 98Extreme labels, 2026-09: 1.7% of 115Extreme labels, 2026-10: 1.3% of 75Jan ’25Jul ’25Jan ’26Jul ’26Oct ’26
Show the data
Monthly rates for Hollen, 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 ’2511112.6%42.3%79.3%13.5%33.3%3.6%
Feb ’2516732.3%41.3%77.3%8.4%15.6%3.6%
Mar ’2515528.4%35.5%72.9%16.1%18.1%3.2%
Apr ’2513423.1%50.7%82.8%9.0%9.7%3.7%
May ’2512723.6%44.1%83.5%14.2%20.5%7.1%
Jun ’2514321.0%50.3%79.0%5.6%9.8%6.3%
Jul ’2513719.0%55.5%89.0%19.7%19.0%2.2%
Aug ’2512115.7%52.9%74.4%14.1%18.2%5.0%
Sep ’2511422.8%43.0%72.8%6.1%27.2%9.7%
Oct ’2514725.2%46.3%72.8%8.2%12.2%13.6%
Nov ’259124.2%57.1%80.2%13.2%20.9%2.2%
Dec ’258429.8%23.8%84.5%10.7%25.0%1.2%
Jan ’2610429.8%20.2%95.2%10.6%22.1%6.7%
Feb ’2611922.7%55.5%76.5%7.6%11.8%7.6%
Mar ’2612117.4%55.4%80.2%10.7%18.2%3.3%
Apr ’2612425.0%33.9%92.7%12.9%22.6%0.0%
May ’2610818.5%45.4%77.8%4.6%19.4%5.6%
Jun ’2611413.2%60.5%85.1%14.9%22.8%1.8%
Jul ’2610521.9%36.2%87.6%10.5%13.3%0.0%
Aug ’269827.6%21.4%94.9%4.1%15.3%1.0%
Sep ’2611521.7%31.3%94.8%10.4%20.9%1.7%
Oct ’267517.3%21.3%96.0%5.3%13.3%1.3%
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 119th Congress, 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%.

In Hollen’s words

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

Bipartisanship

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

Oct 15, 2026 · Posts on X · policy discussion; bipartisanship; Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues; Government Operations and Politics · Source

Personal attacks

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

Oct 26, 2026 · Posts on X · personal attacks; policy discussion; Economics and Public Finance; Energy; Taxation; target: Trump · Source

Extreme label

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

Oct 20, 2026 · Posts on X · policy discussion; Immigration; Government Operations and Politics; Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues; extreme label “fascist” aimed at Trump DOJ · 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

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

    personal attacks · policy discussion · Economics and Public Finance · Energy · Taxation · target: TrumpSource

  2. Press releases

    Van Hollen, Colleagues Press Meta’s Zuckerberg for Answers After No Kings Coalition Account Shut Off in Middle of No Kings National Demonstrations Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) are calling on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to answer questions on the temporary removal of the No Kings Coalition Instagram accou…

    personal attacks · policy discussion · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues · Government Operations and Politics · Science, Technology, Communications · target: Donald TrumpSource

  3. Posts on X

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

    personal attacks · policy discussion · Government Operations and Politics · International Affairs · target: TrumpSource

  4. Posts on X

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

    personal attacks · policy discussion · Armed Forces and National Security · Economics and Public Finance · Public Lands and Natural Resources · target: TrumpSource

  5. Posts on X

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

    personal attacks · policy discussion · International Affairs · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesSource

All 2,614 statements

Newest first, the 119th Congress

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: 1,794 posts on X, 614 press releases, 194 Congressional Record speeches, 12 newsletters.

Back to topNext: Policy

Policy

Government Operations and Politics is what Hollen talks about most: 31% of policy statements, above the peer share. Talk and legislation agree at 0.65 on a 0–1 scale (Senate Democrats average 0.66; 32nd of 45).

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 Hollen talks about. The bills Hollen sponsors and cosponsors carry the same areas, so the two can be compared.

What Hollen talks about

Share of policy statements by area, the 119th Congress

0%35%
Hollen
Peers
Government Operations and Politics659 statements
31%
22%
Economics and Public Finance523 statements
24%
24%
International Affairs471 statements
22%
12%
Armed Forces and National Security437 statements
20%
21%
Health395 statements
18%
27%
Show the data
Policy areas Hollen talks about, as a share of policy statements, against the Senate Democrats average.
RowHollenPeers
Government Operations and Politics31%22%
Economics and Public Finance24%24%
International Affairs22%12%
Armed Forces and National Security20%21%
Health18%27%
How to read the bars

The thick bar is the share of Hollen’s policy statements in an area; the thin grey bar is the average share for 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 35%. Grey ticks are the Senate Democrats averages.

Talks aboutLegislates onGovernment Operations andPoliticsGovernment Operations and Politics, talks about: 31% (Senate Democrats 22%)31%Government Operations and Politics, legislates on: 12% (Senate Democrats 9%)12%Economics and Public FinanceEconomics and Public Finance, talks about: 24% (Senate Democrats 24%)24%Economics and Public Finance, legislates on: 0% (Senate Democrats 0%)0%International AffairsInternational Affairs, talks about: 22% (Senate Democrats 12%)22%International Affairs, legislates on: 14% (Senate Democrats 8%)14%Armed Forces and NationalSecurityArmed Forces and National Security, talks about: 20% (Senate Democrats 21%)20%Armed Forces and National Security, legislates on: 3% (Senate Democrats 7%)3%HealthHealth, talks about: 18% (Senate Democrats 27%)18%Health, legislates on: 10% (Senate Democrats 14%)10%
Show the data
Hollen's share of statements against share of bills in each policy area.
AreaTalks aboutSenate Democrats, talks aboutLegislates onSenate Democrats, legislates on
Government Operations and Politics31%22%12%9%
Economics and Public Finance24%24%0%0%
International Affairs22%12%14%8%
Armed Forces and National Security20%21%3%7%
Health18%27%10%14%
0.65

talk-to-bills agreement, 0 to 1

Senate Democrats average 0.66. Ranks 32nd of 45.

What agreement means, and what it doesn’t

Agreement is 1 minus the distance between the two distributions (Jensen–Shannon): 1 means Hollen legislates on exactly the areas Hollen 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 Hollen sponsored count fully, cosponsored bills a quarter. Shown with at least 20 policy statements and 5 bills.

Back to topNext: Ideology

Ideology

Hollen sits at −1.30 on the CSIP scale, left of 0, more liberal than 77% of Senate Democrats. Approximate range −1.32 to −1.29, which understates the uncertainty; from 9,771 donors and 3,785 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”.

−1.30

CSIP ideal point

Approximate range −1.32 to −1.29. From 9,771 donors and 3,785 roll calls. Run 2026-10-25T215945. Blue is left of 0, red right of 0.

← More liberalMore conservative →0Hollen −1.3Senate Democrats −1.1All Senate +0.4

The outlined dot is Hollen, 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 Hollen’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 Hollen sits

Every official in each group, on the CSIP scale

−2.0−1.00.0+1.0+2.0← More liberalMore conservative →Senate Democratsmedian −1.1Hollen −1.3All Senatemedian +0.4
Show the data
Hollen's CSIP score of −1.30 placed against Senate Democrats, All Senate.
GroupOfficialsMedianShare left of Hollen
Senate Democrats45−1.122%
All Senate98+0.411%
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 Hollen 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 Hollen.

Back to topNext: Money

Money

Hollen raised $2.5M in the 2026 cycle, close to the Senate Democrats’ median of $2.6M. 7.2% of individual money came in gifts of $200 or less. 27% of itemized individual money came from Maryland.

Campaign money from Federal Election Commission 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.

Election cycle
$2.5M

raised in the 2026 cycle

From 1,026 itemized donors. Senate Democrats’ median $2.6M.

Where the money came from

Each square is one percent of 2026-cycle receipts, from FEC summary totals.

Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Itemized individual (over $200): $1.8M (72.5%)Unitemized individual (gifts of $200 or less): $142.0K (5.7%)Unitemized individual (gifts of $200 or less): $142.0K (5.7%)Unitemized individual (gifts of $200 or less): $142.0K (5.7%)Unitemized individual (gifts of $200 or less): $142.0K (5.7%)Unitemized individual (gifts of $200 or less): $142.0K (5.7%)Unitemized individual (gifts of $200 or less): $142.0K (5.7%)PACs and other committees: $84.2K (3.4%)PACs and other committees: $84.2K (3.4%)PACs and other committees: $84.2K (3.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds): $461.1K (18.4%)
  • Itemized individual (over $200)73 squares$1.8M
  • Unitemized individual (gifts of $200 or less)6 squares$142.0K
  • PACs and other committees3 squares$84.2K
  • Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds)18 squares$461.1K
Show the data
Sources of Hollen's money, 2026 cycle, one square per percent
SourceAmountShare
Itemized individual (over $200)$1.8M72.5%
Unitemized individual (gifts of $200 or less)$142.0K5.7%
PACs and other committees$84.2K3.4%
Remainder not broken out in the FEC summary (transfers, loans, refunds)$461.1K18.4%
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. The small-donor share understates small giving when a campaign itemizes gifts made through ActBlue or WinRed.

Receipts by cycle

Total receipts, 2020 to 2026. The grey line is the Senate Democrats’ median for 2026.

2020 cycle: $1.6M$1.6M20202022 cycle: $6.6M$6.6M20222024 cycle: $330.6K$330.6K20242026 cycle: $2.5M$2.5M2026Senate Democrats median $2.6M
Show the data
Hollen's receipts by cycle against the 2026 Senate Democrats median.
ItemValue
2020 cycle$1.6M
2022 cycle$6.6M
2024 cycle$330.6K
2026 cycle$2.5M

Top donor states, 2026

Itemized contributions by donor state. 27% came from Maryland.

  1. Maryland$398.0K
  2. Texas$220.7K
  3. California$136.0K
  4. New York$133.6K
  5. Virginia$132.7K

Small donations

Gifts of $200 or less as a share of individual money, by cycle. The thin grey bar is the 2026 Senate Democrats’ median.

0%60%
Hollen
Median
2026
7%
35%
2024
17%
35%
2022
7%
35%
2020
9%
35%
Show the data
Small-donor share by cycle against the Senate Democrats median
RowHollenMedian
2026 cycle7%35%
2024 cycle17%35%
2022 cycle7%35%
2020 cycle9%35%

Where itemized donors live

Individuals who gave more than $200, by donor state

Alaska: no dataAKMaine: $1,000MEVermont: $1,000VTNew Hampshire: $1,019NHWashington: $2,960WAIdaho: no dataIDMontana: no dataMTNorth Dakota: no dataNDMinnesota: $1,650MNIllinois: $52.7KILWisconsin: $2,500WIMichigan: $84.8KMINew York: $133.6KNYRhode Island: $250RIMassachusetts: $15.5KMAOregon: no dataORNevada: $31.0KNVWyoming: no dataWYSouth Dakota: no dataSDIowa: $2,000IAIndiana: $5,500INOhio: $3,000OHPennsylvania: $17.1KPANew Jersey: $29.5KNJConnecticut: $16.1KCTCalifornia: $136.0KCAUtah: no dataUTColorado: $7,500CONebraska: $1,500NEMissouri: $2,250MOKentucky: no dataKYWest Virginia: no dataWVVirginia: $132.7KVAMaryland: $398.0KMDDelaware: no dataDEArizona: $1,750AZNew Mexico: no dataNMKansas: no dataKSArkansas: $500ARTennessee: no dataTNNorth Carolina: $9,910NCSouth Carolina: no dataSCDistrict of Columbia: $132.4KDCOklahoma: $8,000OKLouisiana: no dataLAMississippi: no dataMSAlabama: $200ALGeorgia: no dataGAHawaii: no dataHITexas: $220.7KTXFlorida: $11.4KFL
Show the data
Hollen's itemized individual contributions by donor state, 2026 cycle
StateValue
Maryland$398.0K
Texas$220.7K
California$136.0K
New York$133.6K
Virginia$132.7K
District of Columbia$132.4K
Michigan$84.8K
Illinois$52.7K
Nevada$31.0K
New Jersey$29.5K
Pennsylvania$17.1K
Connecticut$16.1K
Massachusetts$15.5K
Florida$11.4K
North Carolina$9,910
Oklahoma$8,000
Colorado$7,500
Indiana$5,500
Ohio$3,000
Washington$2,960
Wisconsin$2,500
Missouri$2,250
Iowa$2,000
Arizona$1,750
Minnesota$1,650
Nebraska$1,500
New Hampshire$1,019
Maine$1,000
Vermont$1,000
Arkansas$500
Rhode Island$250
Alabama$200
AlaskaNo data
IdahoNo data
MontanaNo data
North DakotaNo data
OregonNo data
WyomingNo data
South DakotaNo data
UtahNo data
KentuckyNo data
West VirginiaNo data
DelawareNo data
New MexicoNo data
KansasNo data
TennesseeNo data
South CarolinaNo data
LouisianaNo data
MississippiNo data
GeorgiaNo data
HawaiiNo data
1,026

itemized donors

People who gave more than $200

27%

from Maryland

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

Donors’ ideology

Distribution of itemized donors’ own CSIP scores

CSIP −1.50 to −1.25: 22%CSIP −1.25 to −1.00: 42%42%CSIP −1.00 to −0.75: 21%CSIP −0.75 to −0.50: 7.0%CSIP −0.50 to −0.25: 4.6%CSIP −0.25 to 0.00: 1.4%CSIP 0.00 to +0.25: 0.8%CSIP +0.25 to +0.50: 1.4%CSIP +0.50 to +0.75: 0.0%CSIP +0.75 to +1.00: 0.1%← More liberalMore conservative →0
Show the data
Ideology of Hollen's itemized donors in 2026, from −1.50 to +1.00: 22% between −1.50 and −1.25, 42% between −1.25 and −1.00, 21% between −1.00 and −0.75, 7.0% between −0.75 and −0.50.
ItemValue
CSIP −1.50 to −1.2522%
CSIP −1.25 to −1.0042%
CSIP −1.00 to −0.7521%
CSIP −0.75 to −0.507.0%
CSIP −0.50 to −0.254.6%
CSIP −0.25 to 0.001.4%
CSIP 0.00 to +0.250.8%
CSIP +0.25 to +0.501.4%
CSIP +0.50 to +0.750.0%
CSIP +0.75 to +1.000.1%
How to read the columns

Donors who give to many candidates get their own CSIP score. Each column is the share of Hollen’s itemized money from donors in that part of the scale, blue left of 0 and red right of 0, deeper further out; Hollen’s own score is −1.30.

Top donor occupations

Itemized, 2026 cycle.

  1. NOT EMPLOYED$269.9K 215 donors
  2. PHYSICIAN$168.8K 101 donors
  3. CEO$99.2K 42 donors
  4. RETIRED$89.7K 80 donors
  5. ATTORNEY$46.5K 48 donors

Top committees

PAC and committee contributions, 2026 cycle.

  1. AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION - COPE$5,000
  2. IONQ, INC. PAC$5,000
  3. KBR, INC. PAC$5,000
  4. LPL FINANCIAL LLC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (LPL PAC)$5,000
  5. SODEXO INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE$5,000

Top employers

Itemized, 2026 cycle.

  1. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES$22.0K 13 donors
  2. EXELON$14.0K 16 donors
  3. ACTUM LLC$9,000 4 donors
  4. LIFEBRIDGE HEALTH$7,000 7 donors
  5. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH$855 3 donors

Aggregates only. Individual donors are never named.

Back to topNext: Votes

Votes

Hollen voted with the majority of Senate Democrats on 100% of party-line votes and missed 1.5% of 915 roll calls. Senate Democrats on average: 95.3% party unity, 97.0% attendance. Across all roll calls, Hollen voted against the majority of Senate Democrats 31 times.

915 roll calls Hollen could vote on in the 119th Congress, compared with Senate Democrats. 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 Hollen voted with the majority of Senate Democrats. The count of votes against that majority covers every roll call where the majority took a side.

31

votes against the majority of Senate Democrats

Party unity 100%, Senate Democrats average 95.3%, ranks 2nd of 45. 915 roll calls in the 119th Congress.

Attendance and party unity

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

80%100%
Hollen
Peers
Rank
Attendance
98.4%
97.0%
18th of 45
Party unity
100%
95.3%
2nd of 45
Show the data
Hollen's attendance and party unity against Senate Democrats.
RowHollenPeers
Attendance98.4%97.0%
Party unity100%95.3%
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 119th Congress

Key votes
Party split (yea–nay)Why it’s key
Sep 28, 2026
S. 4668
A bill to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide protections for, student athletes and to promote fair competition among intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes.
On Passage of the Bill
NayAgainst majorityBill PassedD 26–19 · R 50–2 · I 1–1Democrats 26 yea, 19 nay; Republicans 50 yea, 2 nay; Independents 1 yea, 1 nayparty crossover
Sep 24, 2026
H.Con.Res. 89
A concurrent resolution directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran.
On the Concurrent Resolution
YeaWith majorityConcurrent Resolution RejectedD 43–1 · R 4–49 · I 2–0Democrats 43 yea, 1 nay; Republicans 4 yea, 49 nay; Independents 2 yea, 0 nayclose vote
Aug 8, 2026
H.R. 6500
An act making continuing appropriations and extensions for fiscal year 2027, and for other purposes.
On Passage of the Bill
YeaWith majorityBill PassedD 42–3 · R 47–2 · I 1–1Democrats 42 yea, 3 nay; Republicans 47 yea, 2 nay; Independents 1 yea, 1 naybecame law
Aug 7, 2026
H.R. 5334
An act to impose sanctions and other measures with respect to the Russian Federation, as championed by the late Senator Lindsey O. Graham, and for other purposes.
On Passage of the Bill
YeaWith majorityBill PassedD 36–9 · R 49–1 · I 1–1Democrats 36 yea, 9 nay; Republicans 49 yea, 1 nay; Independents 1 yea, 1 naybecame law · party crossover
Jul 30, 2026
S.Res. 817
An executive resolution authorizing the en bloc consideration in Executive Session of certain nominations on the Executive Calendar.
On the Resolution
NayWith majorityResolution Agreed toD 0–45 · R 50–0 · I 0–2Democrats 0 yea, 45 nay; Republicans 50 yea, 0 nay; Independents 0 yea, 2 nayclose vote
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 Hollen most often

  1. Jeff MerkleyD894 shared votes99%
  2. Christopher MurphyD876 shared votes98%
  3. Patty MurrayD850 shared votes98%
  4. Tina SmithD859 shared votes98%
  5. Lisa Blunt RochesterD896 shared votes98%

Votes least often with

The colleagues who voted the same way as Hollen least often

  1. Ron JohnsonR891 shared votes3.1%
  2. Cynthia LummisR871 shared votes3.3%
  3. Ted CruzR855 shared votes3.5%
  4. Bill HagertyR870 shared votes3.7%
  5. Marsha BlackburnR848 shared votes3.8%
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

119th Congress (2025–27), loads in batches

Back to topNext: Legislation

Legislation

Hollen sponsored 76 bills in the 119th Congress; none became law. Cosponsored 676 others. 11% of sponsored bills got out of committee (Senate Democrats average 14%; 28th of 45).

The bills Hollen sponsored and cosponsored in the 119th Congress, 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 119th Congress

Sponsored76 billsSponsored, Introduced: 7676Sponsored, In committee: 7676Sponsored, Passed one chamber: 11Sponsored, Passed both chambers: 00Sponsored, Became law: 00Cosponsored676 billsCosponsored, Introduced: 676676Cosponsored, In committee: 673673Cosponsored, Passed one chamber: 8181Cosponsored, Passed both chambers: 00Cosponsored, Became law: 00IntroducedIncommitteePassed onechamberPassed bothchambersBecamelaw
Show the data
Bills Hollen sponsored and cosponsored, by furthest stage reached
RoleIntroducedIn committeePassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law
Sponsored7676100
Cosponsored6766738100
How to read the blocks

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

11%

of sponsored bills got out of committee

Senate Democrats average 14%. Ranks 28th of 45.

Cosponsorship partners

Colleagues who most often cosponsor with Hollen, by number of shared bills in the 119th Congress; the square shows their party.

  1. Jeff Merkley254
  2. Cory Booker232
  3. Richard Blumenthal228
  4. Ed Markey205
  5. Alex Padilla199
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 Hollen’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
S. 5626Higher Education Grant Flexibility Act of 2026SponsorSep 30, 2026In committeeEducationRead twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Sep 30, 2026
S. 5631SOAR ActCosponsorSep 30, 2026In committeeCommerceRead twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Sep 30, 2026
S. 5651National Institutes of Clean Energy Act of 2026CosponsorSep 30, 2026In committeeEnergyRead twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Sep 30, 2026
S. 5665America’s College Promise Act of 2026CosponsorSep 30, 2026In committeeEducationRead twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Sep 30, 2026
S.Res. 935A resolution designating October 23, 2026, as "National Marine Sanctuary Day".CosponsorSep 30, 2026In committeePublic Lands and Natural ResourcesReferred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S5268) Sep 30, 2026

Back to topNext: Online

Online

A site that changed 130 times in 90 days. Hollen’s official site had 34 pages when last crawled on Oct 18, 2026. The lab last catalogued the images Hollen posted on Oct 26, 2026.

The lab crawls Hollen’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 Hollen 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 Hollen posted

The latest 24, with model-written descriptions

  • A magazine-style cover with a black headline panel above a photograph of a blond person seen from behind, wearing a red cap and dark jacket. There is text on the cover.
    A magazine-style cover with a black headline panel above a photograph of a blond person seen from behind, wearing a red cap and dark jacket. There is text on the cover.View post
  • A screenshot of a New York Times article page, showing a prominent headline and summary about U.S. and Israeli plans for renewed strikes on Iran after elections. Navigation and article interaction controls are visible.
    A screenshot of a New York Times article page, showing a prominent headline and summary about U.S. and Israeli plans for renewed strikes on Iran after elections. Navigation and article interaction controls are visible.View post
  • A screenshot of a news article webpage from The New Republic, with a large headline and summary, author and date information, and a narrow strip of a building and trees at the bottom.
    A screenshot of a news article webpage from The New Republic, with a large headline and summary, author and date information, and a narrow strip of a building and trees at the bottom.View post
  • A screenshot of a news article page about SpaceX and a defense contract award. It includes a headline, publication date, author details, a photograph of a SpaceX building and rocket, a photo credit, and social sharing icons.
    A screenshot of a news article page about SpaceX and a defense contract award. It includes a headline, publication date, author details, a photograph of a SpaceX building and rocket, a photo credit, and social sharing icons.View post
  • A screenshot of a newspaper website article about US officials considering an advertising campaign encouraging South African Afrikaners to emigrate. The top shows a cropped photo of people, including a child being carried and small US flags. The article headline, summary, a link, byline, and publication date are visible.
    A screenshot of a newspaper website article about US officials considering an advertising campaign encouraging South African Afrikaners to emigrate. The top shows a cropped photo of people, including a child being carried and small US flags. The article headline, summary, a link, byline, and publication date are visible.View post
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.

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 Hollen is most unusual among 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
V000128
Bioguide
V000128
FEC candidate ids
H2MD08126, S6MD03441

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 (Congress)Sep 30, 202628 days agoVoteview roll calls, 113th Congress (2013) on.
  • Bills (Congress)Oct 22, 20266 days agoGovInfo BILLSTATUS: sponsors, cosponsors, actions, CRS policy area.
  • Campaign money (FEC)Oct 22, 20266 days agoFEC committee financial summaries (totals, small donations) and itemized contributions (donor counts, states, employers), cycles 2020-2026; 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.
  • ImagesOct 27, 20261 days agoImages in members' tweets with vision-model descriptions.

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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