U.S. Senator
Jeff Merkley
Oregon
DemocratProgressive
Contact
Voting Profile
Legislative Record
Most Active Policy Areas
#1 healthcare#2 other#3 defense#4 environment energy#5 social security
266
Votes Analyzed
Data sources: voteview, congress.gov
Political Position
Ideology Spectrum
-0.45Progressive
Senator Merkley's voting record places him in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, with an ideology score more liberal than his party's average. His positions generally align with expanding government programs and regulatory oversight across most policy areas.
LiberalModerateConservative
Democrat avg
Near the average for Democrats (-0.38)
Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)
Policy Positions
Category Breakdown
266
total votes analyzed
Overview
Jeff Merkley has represented Oregon in the U.S. Senate as a Democrat, compiling a voting record that reflects progressive policy priorities. His voting patterns show strong support for healthcare-related legislation, where he has cast the majority of his recorded votes, along with consistent support for defense measures and banking/finance legislation. The Senator's voting record demonstrates particular engagement with healthcare policy, which comprises the largest portion of his recorded votes. His 75% support rate on defense matters and 100% support on banking and finance votes that reached the floor suggest areas where he has found alignment with legislative proposals. Merkley's budget votes show a more selective approach, with recorded opposition to the budget measures that came before him during this period. His environmental and energy votes show a more divided pattern, with roughly half receiving his support.
Key Positions
- •Strong engagement on healthcare legislation with majority support for related measures
- •High support rate for defense-related votes (75%)
- •Consistent support for banking and finance legislation
- •Selective approach to budget measures
- •Active participation in confirmation votes and procedural motions
By Policy Area
Healthcare156
58% yea42% nay
Other28
50% yea50% nay
Defense24
75% yea25% nay
Environment & Energy23
52% yea48% nay
Social Security10
50% yea50% nay
Agriculture9
56% yea44% nay
Banking & Finance6
100% yea0% 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: $37.9M
Fundraising Over Time
Raised per election cycleSpent
Contribution Sources
Individual$6.3M
92%
PAC / Committees$532K
8%
Individual Breakdown
Itemized (>$200)
$3.9M
Small Dollar (<$200)
$2.4M
Donation Sizes
Under $200
$1.8M · 48%
$200 – 499
$217K · 6%
$500 – 999
$256K · 7%
$1,000 – 1,999
$456K · 12%
$2,000+
$994K · 27%
Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.
Where the Money Comes From
In-state (OR)$1.8M · 68%
Out-of-state$846K · 32%
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.
OR
$1.8M
CA
$183K
NY
$87K
WA
$82K
IL
$79K
DC
$75K
TX
$51K
VA
$40K
Top Contributors
Top Contributing Industries
Top Donor Employers
NOT EMPLOYED$1.4M
SELF-EMPLOYED$224K
NULL$82K
PAULSON COLETTI$14K
CORSON & JOHNSON$14K
TEACHING STRATEGIES INC.$14K
KAFOURY & MCDOUGAL$12K
INTEL$8K
OHSU$7K
FAMILY DENTAL CARE$7K
UNITED GROUP$7K
AGRI-STAR, INC.$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
$1.3M
Fundraising
$575K
Administrative
$45K
Refunds
$24K
Advertising
$22K
Travel
$7K
Materials
$264.33
Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.
Top Payees
1.$423K
RWT PRODUCTION, LLC
2.$298K
MANDATE MEDIA, INC.
3.$248K
THE KAUFFMAN GROUP
4.$137K
ADP, INC.
5.$125K
CAPITOL COMPLIANCE ASSOCIATES, INC.
6.$112K
BF DIRECT LLC
7.$94K
AMERICAN EXPRESS
8.$85K
ACTBLUE TECHNICAL SERVICES
Detailed Breakdown
Expenditures
Operating Costs
$4.1M
Operating Offsets
$17K
Net Operating
$4.1M
Refunds
Individual Refunds
$51K
Committee Refunds
$3K
Outside Spending (Super PACs)
Supporting
$1.8M
Opposing
$8.1M
Total Outside Spending
$9.9M
Top Outside Spenders
01
$5.2MNATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE
-$5.2M
02
$2.0MFREEDOM PARTNERS ACTION FUND INC
-$2.0M
03
$862KSERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION (SEIU COPE)
+$862K
04
$591KLeague of Conservation Voters Inc
+$591K
05
$330KAMERICAN FUTURE FUND POLITICAL ACTION
-$330K
06
$278KHUMANE SOCIETY LEGISLATIVE FUND
+$278K
07
$265KCOOPERATIVE OF AMERICAN PHYSICIANS - MUTUAL PROTECTION TRUST (CAP-MPT) FEDERAL PAC
-$265K
08
$250KOPPORTUNITY ALLIANCE PAC
-$250K
Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.
Coverage: 1/1/2021 – 6/30/2026FEC: S8OR00207Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)
Voting Record
Congressional Votes
179 votes across 12 categories