Brian Schatz
U.S. Senator (Democrat) from Hawaii, serving since 2012
Official U.S. Congress photo (public domain)
U.S. Senator for Hawaii (Democratic), in Congress since 2012. Estimated from 10 recorded votes, the Progressive Democrat lane (chosen from their DW-NOMINATE voting score (-0.441, from 897 votes; Voteview)).
Political compass placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 26 | toward collective / planned | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 14 | strongly toward progressive | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 26 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 27 | toward cosmopolitan | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 28 | toward non-intervention |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 25 | toward collective ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 42 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 27 | toward cosmopolitan |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 16 | toward progressive |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 10 | strongly toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 14 | strongly toward egalitarian |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 73 | toward state planning |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 28 | toward non-intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 10 | strongly toward secular state |
These positions are estimates on the Atlas’s nine-dimension scale, produced by running the available evidence through the same questions and scoring used for test-takers. They are interpretations for comparison, not objective measurements. How scores are made.
Key positions
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Religious doctrine should take precedence over civil law when they conflict. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| Preserving a historic national majority is a legitimate immigration objective. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| Society works best when established social hierarchies are respected. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Major industries should be publicly owned rather than privately controlled. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| Price signals should be the main guide for production and investment. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Medical gender transition should not be available to minors. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
Recorded votes used
| Vote | How they voted | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| S. 9 (cloture), Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act Senate roll 100 (2025) | Nay | Transgender women should be able to compete in women’s sports. |
| S. 6 (cloture), Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act Senate roll 11 (2025) | Nay | Abortion should be illegal in most or all cases. |
| H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act Senate roll 372 (2025) | Nay | Cutting taxes is generally better for the economy than increasing public spending. |
| H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act Senate roll 372 (2025) | Nay | Welfare benefits should be kept limited so that people have strong incentives to work. |
| H.R. 4, Rescissions Act Senate roll 411 (2025) | Nay | Wealthy countries should give more aid to poorer countries. |
| H.J.Res. 88 (overturn California zero-emission-vehicle waiver) Senate roll 277 (2025) | Nay | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 87 Senate roll 279 (2025) | Nay | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 89 Senate roll 281 (2025) | Nay | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 88 (overturn California zero-emission-vehicle waiver) Senate roll 277 (2025) | Nay | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 87 Senate roll 279 (2025) | Nay | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 89 Senate roll 281 (2025) | Nay | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 35 (overturn EPA methane-emissions fee rule) Senate roll 97 (2025) | Nay | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| S.J.Res. 28 (overturn CFPB rule on large payment apps) Senate roll 106 (2025) | Nay | Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. |
| S.J.Res. 18 (overturn CFPB overdraft-fee rule) Senate roll 153 (2025) | Nay | Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. |
| S.J.Res. 37 (end the emergency behind tariffs on Canada) Senate roll 160 (2025) | Yea | Tariffs can be justified to protect domestic industries. |
| S.J.Res. 49 (end the emergency behind worldwide tariffs) Senate roll 225 (2025) | Yea | Tariffs can be justified to protect domestic industries. |
| S.J.Res. 37 (end the emergency behind tariffs on Canada) Senate roll 160 (2025) | Yea | Trade policy should prioritize consumer choice over domestic industrial protection. |
| S.J.Res. 49 (end the emergency behind worldwide tariffs) Senate roll 225 (2025) | Yea | Trade policy should prioritize consumer choice over domestic industrial protection. |
Votes from the official House Clerk and Senate roll-call records.
Checked against their own statements
- H.R. 1: Joint statement: "It's a terrible bill that we all strongly opposed" (the Republican tax bill, with cuts to health care and food aid) (2025-07-03) source
- H.R. 4, Rescissions: Joint statement on the foreign-aid cuts: "The draconian DOGE cuts that President Trump and Elon Musk have put in place" (2025-06-12) source
- S. 9: "Trans people are not the reason people can't afford groceries or healthcare or housing." (2025-03-03) source
DW-NOMINATE first dimension: -0.441 (from 897 votes; Voteview). Lane used for estimates: Progressive Democrat.
Closest ideologies
Democratic Socialism94% similar positionEurocommunism93% similar positionUtopian Socialism93% similar positionSocial Ecology92% similar positionGreen Politics92% similar position
Similar and contrasting figures
Sam Seder97% similar · CommentatorsAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez96% similar · US politiciansOlof Palme96% similar · Historical and internationalBernie Sanders95% similar · US politiciansKyle Kulinski93% similar · CommentatorsAdolf HitlerContrasting: 33% similarFrancisco FrancoContrasting: 36% similarNick FuentesContrasting: 37% similar
Sources
Profile last reviewed October 20, 2026.