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Data through Sep 17, 2026Compare members
The Vote Ledger
GN

Gaylord Anton Nelson

Senator from Wisconsin
SENATEDEMOCRAT1963–1981ID N000033
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
90%with Dems
of 3,075 votes
Nominations
—with Dems
of 0 · confirmations only
All contested
90%with Dems
of 3,075 · both combined
Steepest move
+7 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 ↓196319691975
1979–8096th Congress
Sat as a Democrat
88.7%with Democrats
of 433 contested votes
Votes for this Congress are open below
Steepest move: 1967 → 1969, +7 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 15, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Dec 15, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Dec 15, 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 13, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Dec 13, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYNEITHER · NOT SCORED
Dec 13, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYBOTH · NOT SCORED
Dec 13, 1980S.Res. 562No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Dec 12, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYBOTH · NOT SCORED
Dec 11, 1980noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
9 most recent roll calls shown · 433 contested votes scored in the 96th CongressAll votes this Congress →

By policy area

career · legislation
Economics and Public Finance91% · 256 votes
Government Operations and Politics84.4% · 180 votes
Energy90.3% · 144 votes
Taxation93.3% · 119 votes
International Affairs87.2% · 109 votes
Armed Forces and National Security95.2% · 104 votes
Law98.6% · 72 votes
Congress91% · 67 votes
Agriculture and Food100% · 65 votes
Public Lands and Natural Resources93.7% · 63 votes
Education91.5% · 47 votes
Foreign Trade and International Finance84.4% · 45 votes
Labor and Employment94.9% · 39 votes
Transportation and Public Works87.2% · 39 votes
Commerce90.9% · 33 votes
Social Welfare93.8% · 32 votes
Environmental Protection100% · 31 votes
Animals96.7% · 30 votes
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues86.7% · 30 votes
Depletion allowances78.3% · 23 votes
Housing and Community Development90.5% · 21 votes
Income tax95% · 20 votes
Health77.8% · 18 votes
Power resources100% · 17 votes
Independent regulatory commissions100% · 16 votes
Finance and Financial Sector100% · 14 votes
Crime and Law Enforcement91.7% · 12 votes
Political participation80% · 10 votes
Too few contested votes to score
Political representation— · 9 votes
Automobile insurance— · 8 votes
Congressional-Presidential relations— · 8 votes
Public works— · 8 votes
Science, Technology, Communications— · 8 votes
Solar heating and cooling— · 8 votes
Amnesties— · 7 votes
Economic stabilization— · 7 votes
Age and employment— · 6 votes
Black lung— · 5 votes
Constitutional amendments— · 5 votes
Day care— · 5 votes
Embargo— · 5 votes
Industrial relations— · 5 votes
Intergovernmental relations— · 5 votes
Mortgages— · 5 votes
Petroleum industry— · 5 votes
Credit— · 4 votes
Territories (U.S.)— · 4 votes
Families— · 3 votes
Heating— · 3 votes
International monetary system— · 3 votes
Motor vehicles— · 3 votes
Range management— · 3 votes
District of Columbia— · 2 votes
Government publications— · 2 votes
Government securities— · 2 votes
Mines and mineral resources— · 2 votes
Sports and Recreation— · 2 votes
Commemorations— · 1 vote
Congressional oversight— · 1 vote
Conservation of natural resources— · 1 vote
Dairy industry— · 1 vote
Disaster relief— · 1 vote
Federal advisory bodies— · 1 vote
Intergovernmental fiscal relations— · 1 vote
Lobbying— · 1 vote
Monuments and memorials— · 1 vote
Private Legislation— · 1 vote
Ships and shipping— · 1 vote
Vietnamese Conflict— · 1 vote

They also voted in 42 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-executive relations, Disabled, Droughts, Electronic surveillance, Emergency Management, Executive reorganization, Explosives, Gambling, Gold, Government corporations, 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

9 Congresses
88th · 196396th · 1979
Democrat · Senate · WI88th–96th
Term datesexact
Members · Wisconsin
GN

Gaylord Anton Nelson

Senator from Wisconsin
SENATED1963–19819 CONGRESSES
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
90.2%with Democrats
of 3,075 votes · 9.8% with Republicans
Nominations—of 0 votes
All contested90%of 3,075 · combined
Steepest move+7 pts1967→69, as a Democrat

Career arc

10050019631979
1979–80 · 96th · Democrat · of 433 votes88.7%

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 · 433 contested votes scored in the 96th

By policy area

career
Economics and Public Finance91% · 256
Government Operations and Politics84.4% · 180
Energy90.3% · 144
Taxation93.3% · 119
International Affairs87.2% · 109
Armed Forces and National Security95.2% · 104
Law98.6% · 72
Congress91% · 67
Agriculture and Food100% · 65
Public Lands and Natural Resources93.7% · 63
Education91.5% · 47
Foreign Trade and International Finance84.4% · 45
Labor and Employment94.9% · 39
Transportation and Public Works87.2% · 39
Commerce90.9% · 33
Social Welfare93.8% · 32
Environmental Protection100% · 31
Animals96.7% · 30
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues86.7% · 30
Depletion allowances78.3% · 23
Housing and Community Development90.5% · 21
Income tax95% · 20
Health77.8% · 18
Power resources100% · 17
Independent regulatory commissions100% · 16
Finance and Financial Sector100% · 14
Crime and Law Enforcement91.7% · 12
Political participation80% · 10
Political representation— · 9
Automobile insurance— · 8
Congressional-Presidential relations— · 8
Public works— · 8
Science, Technology, Communications— · 8
Solar heating and cooling— · 8
Amnesties— · 7
Economic stabilization— · 7
Age and employment— · 6
Black lung— · 5
Constitutional amendments— · 5
Day care— · 5
Embargo— · 5
Industrial relations— · 5
Intergovernmental relations— · 5
Mortgages— · 5
Petroleum industry— · 5
Credit— · 4
Territories (U.S.)— · 4
Families— · 3
Heating— · 3
International monetary system— · 3
Motor vehicles— · 3
Range management— · 3
District of Columbia— · 2
Government publications— · 2
Government securities— · 2
Mines and mineral resources— · 2
Sports and Recreation— · 2
Commemorations— · 1
Congressional oversight— · 1
Conservation of natural resources— · 1
Dairy industry— · 1
Disaster relief— · 1
Federal advisory bodies— · 1
Intergovernmental fiscal relations— · 1
Lobbying— · 1
Monuments and memorials— · 1
Private Legislation— · 1
Ships and shipping— · 1
Vietnamese Conflict— · 1

Also voted in 42 areas where the parties never split — never on a contested question: Arts, Culture, Religion, Auditing, Awards, medals, prizes, Child abuse, Child welfare, Congressional-executive relations, Disabled, Droughts, Electronic surveillance, Emergency Management, Executive reorganization, Explosives, Gambling, Gold, Government corporations, 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

88th · 196396th · 1979
Democrat88th–96th

Party switchers

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