Ideology · Incoming 120th Congress · as of November 6, 2026

Where incoming Democrats stand

Every Democrat elected to the new Congress, scored from −2 to +2 on nine issues, with a source for every call. The +1 mark is the Promise to America, the pledge led by Reps. Tom Suozzi and Adam Gray. Its six principles, in the pledge’s own words, are capitalism, safety, fiscal responsibility, effective government, common purpose and patriotism.

How positions are scored

Each of nine issues is scored −2 to +2. 0 is the mainstream Democratic position, including stances most of the caucus holds, such as a public option or changing the filibuster. −1 is the progressive wing, including cosponsoring Medicare for All or the Green New Deal. −2 is the left flank: for example, campaigning on ending private health insurance or abolishing ICE. +1 is the Promise to America. +2 breaks with the party toward the right (for example, repealing the ACA). The same rubric is applied in both directions.
Each member’s overall score combines sourced issue positions (weight up to 1.0 once three or more issues are scored), the DW-NOMINATE voting score for members with a congressional record (weight 1.0, standardized within each chamber’s Democrats and capped at ±1.2), and caucus or endorsement groups (weight 0.6). Groups are never used as evidence on an individual issue.
DW-NOMINATE places members on one line using all of their roll-call votes, so members who vote “no” from either flank alongside the other party are pulled toward the center. The rule is the same in both directions: if a member belongs to an edge group (DSA, Justice Democrats, or the Blue Dogs) and their voting score lands on the other side of the caucus average, the voting score is set aside. Each member’s raw voting rank is shown in their details.
Freshmen with fewer than three documented issues and no voting record or group are pulled toward the mainstream (0) and marked “thin evidence.” Members whose races are not yet called are shown but left out of the headline numbers. Tap anyone to see the quotes and sources behind their placement.

Freshmen vs. returning (House)

+0.28 vs. -0.16

Median position of 73 incoming freshmen vs. 178 returning members. Freshmen are placed from campaign positions; returning members also from voting records and bill cosponsorships, so the two are not measured identically. On one shared measure, a progressive-or-further-left health-care position: 34% of freshmen vs. 53% of returning members.

Flipped seats

54 flipped seats placed

5 Progressive · 12 Mainstream Democrat · 33 Center-left · 4 Promise-aligned.

Left of the party

4% of the caucus

12 members overall; 8 of the freshmen (10%). 13 winners signed the Promise to America. 10 members in uncalled races are shown on the chart but not counted here.

The topology

Every Democrat in the new Congress, placed from left of the party (−2) to the Promise to America mark (+1 and above). Filled dots are freshmen; gold rings flipped a Republican seat. Tap a dot for the evidence.

Senate · returning43 placed · median -0.08

Senate · new13 placed · median +0.17

House · returning181 placed · median -0.17

House · new78 placed · median +0.24

Where each wing wins

Each House Democrat placed by their district’s 2024 presidential margin (left = Trump won it, right = Harris won it) and their own position (up = toward the center). Gold rings are seats that flipped in 2026.

Promise to AmericaMainstreamTrump +60Harris +60CenterLeft

Issue by issue

New members are coded from their full campaign platforms. Returning members are compared only on health care, where the evidence is complete in both directions (who did and didn’t cosponsor Medicare for All); on other issues their placement comes from their voting record.

Economy & capitalism

Freshmenn=86-0.28

Health care

Freshmenn=88-0.57

Returningn=224-0.50

Immigration & border

Freshmenn=74-0.46

Crime & policing

Freshmenn=43+0.14

Deficits & spending

Freshmenn=28+0.25

Energy & climate

Freshmenn=58-0.05

Culture, gender & speech

Freshmenn=43-0.02

Foreign policy & patriotism

Freshmenn=58-0.43

Courts & institutions

Freshmenn=72-0.04

Every member

Flipped seats only315 members

The primaries that shaped the class

NY-13 · Democratic primary

Darializa Avila Chevalier

Beat Rep. Adriano Espaillat (incumbent). Backed by Justice Democrats, NYC DSA, Zohran Mamdani, American Priorities, Indivisible Action. Source ↗

NY-10 · Democratic primary

Brad Lander

Beat Rep. Dan Goldman (incumbent). Backed by Zohran Mamdani, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Working Families Party. Source ↗

CO-1 · Democratic primary

Melat Kiros

Beat Rep. Diana DeGette (incumbent). Backed by Bernie Sanders, Justice Democrats, DSA, Colorado Working Families Party, Sunrise. Source ↗

MI-13 · Democratic primary

Donavan McKinney

Beat Rep. Shri Thanedar (incumbent). Backed by Rashida Tlaib, Bernie Sanders, Justice Democrats, Working Families Party. Source ↗

CA-34 · Democratic primary

Angela Gonzales-Torres

Beat Rep. Jimmy Gomez (incumbent; D-vs-D top-two general Nov 3). Backed by Justice Democrats, Working Families Party. Source ↗

NY-7 · Democratic primary

Claire Valdez

Beat Antonio Reynoso (open seat). Backed by DSA, American Priorities. Source ↗

NJ-11 · Democratic primary

Analilia Mejia

Beat Tahesha Way (AIPAC-backed); Tom Malinowski (special primary, Feb 5). Source ↗

CA-14 · Democratic primary

Aisha Wahab

Beat Melissa Hernandez (UDP/AIPAC-linked ~$6.3M; Aug 18 special, D-vs-D). Backed by Working Families Party. Source ↗

MI-7 · Democratic primary

William Lawrence

Beat Bridget Brink; Matt Maasdam. Backed by Bernie Sanders, Rashida Tlaib, Abdul El-Sayed. Source ↗

CA-22 · Democratic primary

Randy Villegas

Beat Jasmeet Bains (DCCC-backed; top-two primary). Backed by Working Families Party. Source ↗

PA-3 · Democratic primary

Chris Rabb

Beat open-seat field (Rep. Dwight Evans retiring). Backed by DSA, Working Families Party, Justice Democrats. Source ↗

NJ-12 · Democratic primary

Adam Hamawy

Beat 12 other candidates (open seat, Watson Coleman retiring). Backed by Justice Democrats. Source ↗

MI- · Democratic primary

Abdul El-Sayed

Beat Rep. Haley Stevens (UDP spent ~$31M for Stevens); Mallory McMorrow withdrew July 5 and endorsed El-Sayed. Backed by Mallory McMorrow (post-withdrawal endorsement). Source ↗

MN- · Democratic primary

Peggy Flanagan

Beat Rep. Angie Craig (AIPAC-endorsed). Source ↗

ME- · Democratic primary

Graham Platner

Beat Gov. Janet Mills (withdrew before primary, stayed on ballot); David Costello. Backed by Chuck Schumer (after Mills exited). Source ↗

KY- · Democratic primary

Charles Booker

Beat Amy McGrath. Backed by Working Families Party. Source ↗

MO-1 · Democratic primary

Rep. Wesley Bell (incumbent)

Beat Cori Bush (former Rep., rematch). Backed by United Democracy Project (~$3.1M with allies), national party. Source ↗

NC-4 · Democratic primary

Rep. Valerie Foushee (incumbent)

Beat Nida Allam (Sanders-backed). Backed by AIPAC. Source ↗

IL-8 · Democratic primary

Melissa Bean

Beat Junaid Ahmed (Justice Democrats). Backed by AIPAC-linked super PAC spending. Source ↗

IL-2 · Democratic primary

Donna Miller

Beat Robert Peters; Jesse Jackson Jr.. Backed by Affordable Chicago Now (AIPAC-aligned, ~$4.4M). Source ↗

FL-20 · Democratic primary

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (incumbent)

Beat Elijah Manley (backed by Bernie Sanders); Dale Holness; Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (resigned former representative); Luther Campbell. Source ↗

CO- · Democratic primary

Sen. John Hickenlooper (incumbent)

Beat Julie Gonzales (47%). Source ↗

IA- · Democratic primary

Josh Turek

Beat Zach Wahls (endorsed by Elizabeth Warren). Source ↗

What others are saying

Roll Call: Frames the Nov 3 wave as a win for both wings: Blue Dogs more than doubled membership (22+ Blue Dog PAC endorsees won) while the Congressional Progressive Caucus expects at least 25 new members. 6 takeaways from Democrats' sweeping midterm election wins ↗
Third Way (center-left advocacy): Argues moderate-endorsed Democrats drove the gains (6 Senate flips, ~29 House flips, ~15 pts over Harris margins) while left-leaning Senate nominees in MI/MN/ME ran ~5 pts behind the party's House vote. Moderates Made Democratic Majorities ↗
Brookings (Kamarck & Muchnick): In the most competitive 2026 primaries, mainstream candidates beat ideological flanks; progressive Democrats won ~18% of those races and only 1 of 5 DSA candidates studied (Will Lawrence, MI-7) won. Electability over ideology: Takeaways from the 2026 primaries ↗
FiftyPlusOne (Burton, Conroy, Yang): Progressive non-incumbent endorsees won or advanced in ~55% (28 of 51) of primaries, approaching their 2018 pace, with Israel policy and generational change as central fault lines. We tracked every candidate in the 2026 primaries. Here's who voters are nominating. ↗
Axios: Early-season primaries gave establishment Democrats a slight edge (e.g., Turek over Wahls in Iowa) while progressives won some races such as NJ-12. Primaries leave muddled picture of Dems' way ahead ↗
The Intercept: Reports Justice Democrats' best cycle yet (7 of 15 endorsees won, 3 incumbents ousted by democratic socialists) and presents the group's case for a bolder 'fighter' agenda. The Blueprint for Democrats to Win Back Voters ↗
The American Prospect (David Dayen): Argues a cohort of populist, working-class Democratic nominees in competitive House seats is challenging the assumption that only moderates can win swing districts. The New Majority Makers ↗

Methodology and rubric: every score follows a written rubric anchored to the Promise to America’s six principles. Compare with who voted for them and what voters chose on the ballot.