All Virginia State Lawmakers Ranked on Political Ideology in Just Released Report
Most Expansive Vote Record Analysis Ever Published Reveals Most Lawmakers Took Moderate Positions in 2023
WASHINGTON, DC – A new vote record analysis of the Virginia General Assembly – including the most expansive state lawmaker and Governor scorecard ever produced – has found Governor Youngkin and most lawmakers within the legislature took moderate policy positions this past session ahead of the election. The report just released by the Institute for Legislative Analysis (ILA) is based on over 7,000 votes and legislative actions taken by lawmakers and the Governor earlier this year.
The analysis evaluated lawmaker voting across the full spectrum of policy and rated each lawmaker on a 100-0 scale, with a “100” representing a limited government philosophy and “0” an expansive government philosophy. Voting within the Senate was the most moderate, with a 69.74% average Republican rating and Democrats averaging 20.19%. However, there was a greater level of political polarization in the House of Delegates, primarily a result of more progressive voting trends by Democratic Delegates. In the House, the Democratic average was 6.45% and the Republican average 77.97%.
The analysis found Governor Glenn Youngkin’s legislative record (bill signage and vetoes) fell almost directly down the political center with a moderate 48.98% rating. When examining specific policy fields, the Governor generally took more conservative stances on issues relating to crime, healthcare, and protecting individual liberties, while leaning more to the left when it came to tax and fiscal, environmental, and regulatory policy. A full breakdown on where Republican and Democrat lawmakers fell across the specific policy fields is displayed below.
“Unfortunately, the rhetoric of politicians at election time often doesn’t match up with their real actions at voting time,” said ILA CEO Ryan McGowan. “We are excited to provide this new resource to help voters – regardless of their political belief – cut through the rhetoric and make informed decisions at the ballot box.”
The Institute for Legislative Analysis presented 3 members of Congress and 22 members of the General Assembly with its Thomas Jefferson Award for their Limited Government Ratings of 80% and above.
The ILA was established earlier this year and serves as the data and policy hub for national conservative and liberty-minded organizations. Prior to the launch of the ILA, the team previously served together for nearly a decade at CPAC and the American Conservative Union where they constructed the nation’s first 50 state legislative scorecard.
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Institute for Legislative Analysis
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