Edward J. Markey
U.S. Senator (Democrat) from Massachusetts, serving since 1975
Official U.S. Congress photo (public domain)
U.S. Senator for Massachusetts (Democratic), in Congress since 1975. Estimated from 10 recorded votes, 11 documented positions and the Progressive Democrat lane (chosen from their DW-NOMINATE voting score (-0.518, from 901 votes; Voteview)).
Political compass placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 26 | toward collective / planned | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 13 | strongly toward progressive | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 26 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 27 | toward cosmopolitan | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 29 | 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 | 14 | strongly 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 | 74 | toward state planning |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 29 | toward non-intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 11 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Abortion should be illegal in most or all cases. | Strongly disagrees | documented |
| 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 |
| Taxes on the highest incomes should be raised to fund public services. | Strongly agrees | documented |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Disagrees | documented |
| Major industries should be publicly owned rather than privately controlled. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. | Strongly agrees | documented |
| National security can justify restrictions on what journalists publish. | 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: "the largest cuts to health care, food security, and climate and clean energy in United States history" (2025-07-01) source
- H.R. 4, Rescissions: "by gutting global public health programs, they're abandoning vulnerable populations around the world" (2025-07-17) source
- S. 9: Joined a 2025 Supreme Court amicus brief whose release says "the Members argue that categorical bans on transgender students participating in school sports violate Title IX" (2025-11-19) source
Documented positions
- Abortion should be illegal in most or all cases.: Supports abortion access without restrictions. source
- Courts should be able to temporarily take guns from people judged dangerous, before any crime is committed.: Sponsored background checks on private gun transfers. source
- Semi-automatic rifles such as the AR-15 should be banned for civilians.: Backed banning large-capacity ammunition magazines. source
- Immigrants who have lived in the country for years without legal status should be allowed to stay permanently.: Supports comprehensive reform with a path to citizenship. source
- Taxes on the highest incomes should be raised to fund public services.: Backed a 30% minimum tax on people earning over $1 million. source
- Cutting taxes is generally better for the economy than increasing public spending.: Backed repealing Trump's tax cuts. source
- Tariffs can be justified to protect domestic industries.: Says Trump's tariffs are hurting small businesses. source
- Workers should have strong legal protections to form and join labor unions.: Sponsored a bill strengthening union organizing. source
- The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost.: Sponsored the Green New Deal. source
- Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging.: Opposes military force against Iran without congressional approval. source
- Families should be able to use public education funding at privately run schools.: Opposes vouchers and criticized efforts to strip public school funding. source
DW-NOMINATE first dimension: -0.518 (from 901 votes; Voteview). Lane used for estimates: Progressive Democrat.
Closest ideologies
Democratic Socialism94% similar positionEurocommunism93% similar positionSocial Ecology92% similar positionUtopian Socialism92% similar positionGreen Politics92% similar position
Similar and contrasting figures
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Sources
Profile last reviewed October 20, 2026.