Bernard Sanders

Senator from Vermont

SENATEINDEPENDENT1991–nowID S000033

LegislationHEADLINE

96%with Dems

of 7,353 votes

Nominations

99%with Dems

of 1,746 · confirmations only

All contested

97%with Dems

of 9,099 · both combined

Steepest move

+13 pts

2023 → 2025

still an Independent

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 ↓199119972003200920152021

2025–26119th Congress

Sat as an Independent

99.7%with Democrats

legislation only

Votes for this Congress are open below

Steepest move: 2023 → 2025, +13 pts — within one party label.

Sat as a DemocratSat as a RepublicanVotes available below

Votes

DateBillVoteTypeCastSided with

Sep 17, 2026noneKasdin Miller Mitchell, of Texas, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of TexasNOMINATIONNAYDEM MAJORITY

Sep 17, 2026S. 4668A 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.LEGISLATIONNAYNEITHER · NOT SCORED

Full textA 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.Party majoritiesDemocrats Yea · Republicans YeaCounts toward scoreNo — both party majorities voted Yea.

Where this lands

NAYVoted against both majorities — not scored

Open roll call

Sep 15, 2026S. 4668A 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.LEGISLATIONNAYNEITHER · NOT SCORED

Sep 15, 2026H.R. 3633To provide for a system of regulation of the offer and sale of digital commodities by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, to amend the Federal Reserve Act to prohibit the Federal reserve banks from offering certain products or services directly to an individual, to prohibit the use of central bank digital currency for monetary policy, and for other purposes.LEGISLATIONNAYDEM MAJORITY

Sep 14, 2026noneMatthew R. Byrne, of Ohio, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of OhioNOMINATIONNAYDEM MAJORITY

Aug 8, 2026S. 5271A bill to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require voters to provide photo identification.LEGISLATIONNAYDEM MAJORITY

Aug 8, 2026noneTodd Blanche, of Florida, to be Attorney GeneralNOMINATIONNAYDEM MAJORITY

9 most recent roll calls shown · 767 contested votes scored in the 119th CongressAll votes this Congress →

By policy area

career · legislation

Economics and Public Finance95.6% · 2,227 votes

Congress98.5% · 1,190 votes

Armed Forces and National Security94.7% · 415 votes

International Affairs90.9% · 307 votes

Taxation96.4% · 303 votes

Health97.6% · 294 votes

Government Operations and Politics97.9% · 284 votes

Crime and Law Enforcement93.7% · 221 votes

Finance and Financial Sector93.4% · 181 votes

Labor and Employment98.9% · 178 votes

Public Lands and Natural Resources98.8% · 171 votes

Energy98.8% · 165 votes

Transportation and Public Works94.8% · 154 votes

Education100% · 143 votes

Immigration92.9% · 127 votes

Science, Technology, Communications83.6% · 110 votes

Law93% · 100 votes

Agriculture and Food97.9% · 96 votes

Environmental Protection97.5% · 81 votes

Foreign Trade and International Finance93.6% · 78 votes

Emergency Management97% · 67 votes

Commerce91.9% · 62 votes

Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues100% · 38 votes

Social Welfare94.7% · 38 votes

Water Resources Development97.4% · 38 votes

Housing and Community Development100% · 35 votes

Commemorations100% · 20 votes

Native Americans100% · 15 votes

Families100% · 11 votes

Too few contested votes to score

Arts, Culture, Religion— · 9 votes

Animals— · 6 votes

Sports and Recreation— · 2 votes

They also voted in 1 area where the parties never split, so there is nothing to score — never on a contested question: Private Legislation.

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

Service record

18 Congresses

102nd · 1991110th · 2007119th · 2025

Independent · House · VT102nd–109th

Independent · Senate · VT110th–119th

Term datesexact

Bernard Sanders

Senator from Vermont

SENATEI1991–now18 CONGRESSES

Compare

LegislationHEADLINE

96.1%with Democrats

of 7,353 votes · 3.9% with Republicans

Nominations99%of 1,746 votes

All contested97%of 9,099 · combined

Steepest move+13 pts2023→25, as an Independent

Career arc

10050019912025

2025–26 · 119th · Independent99.7%

Legislation leads. Tap a point to read that Congress.

Votes

Democratic majorityYea

Republican majorityYea

Counts toward scoreNo

Open roll call

Latest 6 shown · 767 contested votes scored in the 119th

By policy area

career

Economics and Public Finance95.6% · 2,227

Congress98.5% · 1,190

Armed Forces and National Security94.7% · 415

International Affairs90.9% · 307

Taxation96.4% · 303

Health97.6% · 294

Government Operations and Politics97.9% · 284

Crime and Law Enforcement93.7% · 221

Finance and Financial Sector93.4% · 181

Labor and Employment98.9% · 178

Public Lands and Natural Resources98.8% · 171

Energy98.8% · 165

Transportation and Public Works94.8% · 154

Education100% · 143

Immigration92.9% · 127

Science, Technology, Communications83.6% · 110

Law93% · 100

Agriculture and Food97.9% · 96

Environmental Protection97.5% · 81

Foreign Trade and International Finance93.6% · 78

Emergency Management97% · 67

Commerce91.9% · 62

Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues100% · 38

Social Welfare94.7% · 38

Water Resources Development97.4% · 38

Housing and Community Development100% · 35

Commemorations100% · 20

Native Americans100% · 15

Families100% · 11

Arts, Culture, Religion— · 9

Animals— · 6

Sports and Recreation— · 2

Also voted in 1 area where the parties never split — never on a contested question: Private Legislation.

Service record

102nd · 1991119th · 2025

Independent102nd–109th

Independent110th–119th

Party switchers

John Alexander LoganD→R · IL · 40th Wesley Wade WatkinsD→R · OK · 105th Ben Nighthorse CampbellD→R · CO · 104th