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The Vote Ledger
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George Stanley McGovern

Senator from South Dakota
SENATEDEMOCRAT1957–1981ID M000452
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
92%with Dems
of 2,813 votes
Nominations
—with Dems
of 0 · confirmations only
All contested
92%with Dems
of 2,813 · both combined
Steepest move
+16 pts
1967 → 1969
still a Democrat

Career arc

Legislation leads. Each point is one Congress: how often they sided with the Democratic majority on contested bills, resolutions and amendments.

100%75%50%25%0%sides with Democrats ↑sides with Republicans ↓1957196319691975
1979–8096th Congress
Sat as a Democrat
87.8%with Democrats
of 329 contested votes
Votes for this Congress are open below
Steepest move: 1967 → 1969, +16 pts — while still a Democrat.
Sat as a DemocratSat as a RepublicanVotes available below

Votes

9 of these 9 roll calls have no description. About 25% of roll calls since 1989 are blank in the source too. Some also lack a bill number.

DateBillVoteTypeCastSided with
Dec 11, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Dec 11, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Dec 11, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Full textNo description in the source record. What survives: the date, how they voted and which side that matched.Party majoritiesDemocrats Yea · Republicans NayCounts toward scoreYes — the parties split.
Where this lands
YEASided with the Democratic majority
Dec 11, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Dec 10, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Dec 10, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Dec 10, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYDEM MAJORITY
Dec 10, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYDEM MAJORITY
Dec 10, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
9 most recent roll calls shown · 329 contested votes scored in the 96th CongressAll votes this Congress →

By policy area

career · legislation
Economics and Public Finance91% · 211 votes
Government Operations and Politics86.4% · 147 votes
Energy93.1% · 145 votes
International Affairs95.2% · 105 votes
Armed Forces and National Security89.7% · 87 votes
Taxation94.9% · 78 votes
Law100% · 61 votes
Agriculture and Food96.7% · 60 votes
Public Lands and Natural Resources96.2% · 52 votes
Congress88.2% · 51 votes
Education97.7% · 44 votes
Labor and Employment88.2% · 34 votes
Foreign Trade and International Finance81.3% · 32 votes
Transportation and Public Works96.9% · 32 votes
Environmental Protection100% · 28 votes
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues81.5% · 27 votes
Commerce100% · 24 votes
Animals100% · 23 votes
Social Welfare91.3% · 23 votes
Depletion allowances73.7% · 19 votes
Income tax88.2% · 17 votes
Independent regulatory commissions93.8% · 16 votes
Health93.3% · 15 votes
Housing and Community Development100% · 15 votes
Crime and Law Enforcement100% · 14 votes
Finance and Financial Sector92.9% · 14 votes
Congressional-Presidential relations100% · 10 votes
Too few contested votes to score
Political representation— · 9 votes
Power resources— · 9 votes
Automobile insurance— · 8 votes
Science, Technology, Communications— · 8 votes
Economic stabilization— · 7 votes
Solar heating and cooling— · 7 votes
Amnesties— · 6 votes
Public works— · 6 votes
Age and employment— · 5 votes
Black lung— · 5 votes
Constitutional amendments— · 5 votes
Day care— · 5 votes
Industrial relations— · 5 votes
Mortgages— · 5 votes
Petroleum industry— · 5 votes
Political participation— · 5 votes
Embargo— · 4 votes
Intergovernmental relations— · 4 votes
Territories (U.S.)— · 4 votes
Heating— · 3 votes
Range management— · 3 votes
District of Columbia— · 2 votes
Government corporations— · 2 votes
International monetary system— · 2 votes
Mines and mineral resources— · 2 votes
Motor vehicles— · 2 votes
Private Legislation— · 2 votes
Sports and Recreation— · 2 votes
Commemorations— · 1 vote
Conservation of natural resources— · 1 vote
Dairy industry— · 1 vote
Disaster relief— · 1 vote
Federal advisory bodies— · 1 vote
Government publications— · 1 vote
Intergovernmental fiscal relations— · 1 vote
Lobbying— · 1 vote
Monuments and memorials— · 1 vote
Ships and shipping— · 1 vote
Vietnamese Conflict— · 1 vote

They also voted in 45 areas where the parties never split, so there is nothing to score — never on a contested question: Arts, Culture, Religion, Auditing, Awards, medals, prizes, Child abuse, Child welfare, Congressional oversight, Congressional-executive relations, Credit, Disabled, Droughts, Electronic surveillance, Emergency Management, Executive reorganization, Explosives, Families, Gambling, Gold, Government securities, Home repair and improvement, Human experimentation in medicine, Immigration, Import restrictions, Interest, Investment guaranty insurance, Lakes, Land use, Lead poisoning, Livestock, Medical supplies, Mobile homes, Municipal finance, Native Americans, Nuclear facilities, Nuclear weapons, Postal rates and revenues, Postal service, Reclamation of land, Refugees, Revenue sharing, Right of privacy, Rivers, Salaries, Strategic materials, Terrorism, Water Resources Development.

Blue is the share of votes siding with the Democratic majority; the tick marks 50%.

Service record

11 Congresses
85th · 195788th · 196396th · 1979
Democrat · House · SD85th–86th
Democrat · Senate · SD88th–96th
Term datesexact
Members · South Dakota
GM

George Stanley McGovern

Senator from South Dakota
SENATED1957–198111 CONGRESSES
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
91.5%with Democrats
of 2,813 votes · 8.5% with Republicans
Nominations—of 0 votes
All contested92%of 2,813 · combined
Steepest move+16 pts1967→69, as a Democrat

Career arc

10050019571979
1979–80 · 96th · Democrat · of 329 votes87.8%

Legislation leads. Tap a point to read that Congress.

Votes

About 25% of roll calls since 1989 are blank too. These rows carry a date, a bill number where one exists, how they voted and which side that matched.
Democratic majorityYea
Republican majorityNay
Counts toward scoreYes
Open roll call
Latest 6 shown · 329 contested votes scored in the 96th

By policy area

career
Economics and Public Finance91% · 211
Government Operations and Politics86.4% · 147
Energy93.1% · 145
International Affairs95.2% · 105
Armed Forces and National Security89.7% · 87
Taxation94.9% · 78
Law100% · 61
Agriculture and Food96.7% · 60
Public Lands and Natural Resources96.2% · 52
Congress88.2% · 51
Education97.7% · 44
Labor and Employment88.2% · 34
Foreign Trade and International Finance81.3% · 32
Transportation and Public Works96.9% · 32
Environmental Protection100% · 28
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues81.5% · 27
Commerce100% · 24
Animals100% · 23
Social Welfare91.3% · 23
Depletion allowances73.7% · 19
Income tax88.2% · 17
Independent regulatory commissions93.8% · 16
Health93.3% · 15
Housing and Community Development100% · 15
Crime and Law Enforcement100% · 14
Finance and Financial Sector92.9% · 14
Congressional-Presidential relations100% · 10
Political representation— · 9
Power resources— · 9
Automobile insurance— · 8
Science, Technology, Communications— · 8
Economic stabilization— · 7
Solar heating and cooling— · 7
Amnesties— · 6
Public works— · 6
Age and employment— · 5
Black lung— · 5
Constitutional amendments— · 5
Day care— · 5
Industrial relations— · 5
Mortgages— · 5
Petroleum industry— · 5
Political participation— · 5
Embargo— · 4
Intergovernmental relations— · 4
Territories (U.S.)— · 4
Heating— · 3
Range management— · 3
District of Columbia— · 2
Government corporations— · 2
International monetary system— · 2
Mines and mineral resources— · 2
Motor vehicles— · 2
Private Legislation— · 2
Sports and Recreation— · 2
Commemorations— · 1
Conservation of natural resources— · 1
Dairy industry— · 1
Disaster relief— · 1
Federal advisory bodies— · 1
Government publications— · 1
Intergovernmental fiscal relations— · 1
Lobbying— · 1
Monuments and memorials— · 1
Ships and shipping— · 1
Vietnamese Conflict— · 1

Also voted in 45 areas where the parties never split — never on a contested question: Arts, Culture, Religion, Auditing, Awards, medals, prizes, Child abuse, Child welfare, Congressional oversight, Congressional-executive relations, Credit, Disabled, Droughts, Electronic surveillance, Emergency Management, Executive reorganization, Explosives, Families, Gambling, Gold, Government securities, Home repair and improvement, Human experimentation in medicine, Immigration, Import restrictions, Interest, Investment guaranty insurance, Lakes, Land use, Lead poisoning, Livestock, Medical supplies, Mobile homes, Municipal finance, Native Americans, Nuclear facilities, Nuclear weapons, Postal rates and revenues, Postal service, Reclamation of land, Refugees, Revenue sharing, Right of privacy, Rivers, Salaries, Strategic materials, Terrorism, Water Resources Development.

Service record

85th · 195796th · 1979
Democrat85th–86th
Democrat88th–96th

Party switchers

John Alexander LoganD→R · IL · 40thWesley Wade WatkinsD→R · OK · 105thBen Nighthorse CampbellD→R · CO · 104th
AD320 × 50 · Anchor