U.S. Representative
Bill Foster
Illinois District 11
DemocratModerate Liberal
Contact
Voting Profile
Legislative Record
Most Active Policy Areas
#1 healthcare#2 agriculture#3 budget#4 other#5 banking finance
134
Votes Analyzed
Data sources: voteview, congress.gov
Political Position
Ideology Spectrum
-0.24Moderate Liberal
Bill Foster's voting record places him as a moderate liberal within the Democratic Party. With a NOMINATE score of -0.238, he positions himself closer to the center than many of his Democratic colleagues, whose average score is -0.380. This suggests he occasionally breaks from party orthodoxy on certain issues.
LiberalModerateConservative
Democrat avg
More conservative than the average Democrat (-0.38)
Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)
Policy Positions
Category Breakdown
134
total votes analyzed
Overview
Bill Foster represents Illinois in the U.S. House as a Democrat with a moderately liberal voting record. His voting patterns show consistent support for Democratic priorities while maintaining some independence from the party's more progressive wing. Foster's legislative activity during the 2008-2009 period captured in this record shows engagement across multiple policy areas, with particular focus on healthcare legislation where he cast 80 votes. His voting on procedural matters indicates reliable support for Democratic leadership positions on floor procedures. Notably, Foster brings a unique background to Congress as a physicist and businessman, which may inform his approach to policy analysis. His positioning as more centrist than the average House Democrat suggests a pragmatic approach to legislation that may prioritize achievable policy outcomes.
Key Positions
- •Supported major healthcare legislation during the 2009 reform debates
- •Consistent support for Democratic procedural motions and party positions
- •Voted in favor of defense-related measures at a 67% rate
- •Supported education initiatives with 100% approval rate on recorded votes
- •Backed housing-related legislation in recorded votes
By Policy Area
Healthcare80
49% yea51% nay
Agriculture13
54% yea46% nay
Budget & Spending13
62% yea38% nay
Other9
67% yea33% nay
Banking & Finance6
33% yea67% nay
Defense6
67% yea33% nay
Analysis updated: January 9, 2026
Campaign Finance
Follow the Money
Includes all authorized campaign committees (principal committee, joint fundraising, and other authorized committees). Outside spending by Super PACs and independent groups is shown separately below. Verify on FEC.gov →
Career: $32.2M
Fundraising Over Time
Raised per election cycleSpent
Contribution Sources
Individual$1.2M
59%
PAC / Committees$833K
41%
Individual Breakdown
Itemized (>$200)
$1.1M
Small Dollar (<$200)
$131K
Donation Sizes
Under $200
$213K · 18%
$200 – 499
$105K · 9%
$500 – 999
$161K · 13%
$1,000 – 1,999
$250K · 21%
$2,000+
$481K · 40%
Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.
Where the Money Comes From
In-state (IL)$467K · 43%
Out-of-state$613K · 57%
Itemized individual contributions only (donations over $200 report the donor's state). Small-dollar donations are not included because the FEC does not itemize them.
IL
$467K
CA
$189K
MA
$106K
NY
$87K
MD
$32K
NJ
$22K
PA
$17K
FL
$17K
Top Contributors
Top Contributing Industries
Top Donor Employers
NOT EMPLOYED$481K
SELF-EMPLOYED$44K
CALTECH$18K
BOSTON UNIVERSITY$16K
HARVARD UNIVERSITY$12K
BLACKSTONE$11K
ANTHROPIC PBC$11K
ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY$9K
FERMILAB$8K
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO$8K
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY$8K
JOHNS HOPKINS APPLIED PHYSICS LAB$7K
Employer as self-reported by itemized donors. “Not Employed” and “Self-Employed” typically rank highest for small-dollar campaigns and include retirees.
Where the Money Goes
Spending by Purpose
Other / Uncategorized
$784K
Contributions
$245K
Transfers
$100K
Advertising
$74K
Fundraising
$7K
Administrative
$6K
Materials
$900.85
Refunds
$750
Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.
Top Payees
1.$330K
DCCC
2.$300K
PAYCHEX
3.$184K
ANGERHOLZER BROZ CONSULTING, LLC
4.$71K
CAPITOL COMPLIANCE ASSOCIATES
5.$70K
BREAKER PRESS CO. INC
6.$37K
US TREASURY
7.$34K
ACTBLUE TECHNICAL SERVICES
8.$29K
NGP VAN INC.
Detailed Breakdown
Expenditures
Operating Costs
$839K
Operating Offsets
$11K
Net Operating
$828K
Refunds
Individual Refunds
$8K
Outside Spending (Super PACs)
Supporting
$2.4M
Opposing
$11.0M
Total Outside Spending
$13.4M
Top Outside Spenders
01
$6.9MNATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE
-$6.9M
02
$1.6MNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
+$1.6M
03
$1.5MCLUB FOR GROWTH ACTION
-$1.5M
04
$1.0MAMERICAN UNITY PAC INC
-$1.0M
05
$640KUS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
-$640K
06
$458KNEW PROSPERITY FOUNDATION; THE
-$458K
07
$450KSERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION (SEIU COPE)
+$450K
08
$374KAMERICAN FUTURE FUND
-$374K
Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.
Coverage: 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2026FEC: H8IL14067Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)
Voting Record
Congressional Votes
127 votes across 10 categories