Christopher A. Coons
U.S. Senator (Democrat) from Delaware, serving since 2010
Official U.S. Congress photo (public domain)
U.S. Senator for Delaware (Democratic), in Congress since 2010. Estimated from 10 recorded votes, the Moderate Democrat lane (chosen from their DW-NOMINATE voting score (-0.24, from 856 votes; Voteview)).
Political compass placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 56 | near the center | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 31 | toward progressive | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 33 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 41 | near the center | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 62 | near the center |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 65 | near the center |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 47 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 41 | near the center |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 31 | toward progressive |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 18 | toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 45 | near the center |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 58 | near the center |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 62 | near the center |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 30 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| Religious doctrine should take precedence over civil law when they conflict. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | 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 |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| Society works best when established social hierarchies are respected. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Non-intervention should be the default even when allies request military assistance. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| The constitution should recognize a particular religion as the foundation of the state. | 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: Would "rig the tax code even further for the ultra-wealthy" and "strip health care from 17 million of the most vulnerable Americans" (2025-07-01) source
- H.R. 4, Rescissions: Its "cruel cuts to foreign assistance would make Jesus weep"; "Cutting foreign aid and disaster assistance leaves people in dire situations across the world to fend for themselves" (2025-07-17) source
DW-NOMINATE first dimension: -0.24 (from 856 votes; Voteview). Lane used for estimates: Moderate Democrat.
Closest ideologies
Third Way96% similar positionDemocratic Technocracy93% similar positionRadical Centrism93% similar positionModerate Liberalism91% similar positionModern Liberalism91% similar position
Similar and contrasting figures
Mark Carney95% similar · Historical and internationalBill Clinton95% similar · US politiciansChuck Schumer95% similar · US politiciansEmmanuel Macron93% similar · Historical and internationalJoe Biden93% similar · US politiciansFrancisco FrancoContrasting: 48% similarKim Jong UnContrasting: 49% similarAdolf HitlerContrasting: 49% similar
Sources
Profile last reviewed October 20, 2026.