James E. Risch
U.S. Senator (Republican) from Idaho, serving since 2009
Official U.S. Congress photo (public domain)
U.S. Senator for Idaho (Republican), in Congress since 2009. Estimated from 10 recorded votes, the Mainstream Republican lane (chosen from their DW-NOMINATE voting score (+0.551, from 882 votes; Voteview)).
Political compass placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 72 | toward market | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 71 | toward traditional | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 44 | near the center | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 82 | toward nationalist | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 63 | near the center |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 80 | toward private ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 50 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 82 | toward nationalist |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 75 | toward traditionalist |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 37 | near the center |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 70 | toward hierarchical |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 40 | near the center |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 63 | near the center |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 62 | near the center |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| A national religious authority should have the power to veto legislation. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| National borders should become less important over time. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Agrees | party-lane estimate |
| Traditional values should guide what society considers right and wrong. | Strongly agrees | party-lane estimate |
| Class distinctions should gradually disappear. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Non-intervention should be the default even when allies request military assistance. | Strongly disagrees | party-lane estimate |
| Medical gender transition should not be available to minors. | Strongly agrees | 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) | Yea | Transgender women should be able to compete in women’s sports. |
| S. 6 (cloture), Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act Senate roll 11 (2025) | Yea | Abortion should be illegal in most or all cases. |
| H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act Senate roll 372 (2025) | Yea | Cutting taxes is generally better for the economy than increasing public spending. |
| H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act Senate roll 372 (2025) | Yea | Welfare benefits should be kept limited so that people have strong incentives to work. |
| H.R. 4, Rescissions Act Senate roll 411 (2025) | Yea | Wealthy countries should give more aid to poorer countries. |
| H.J.Res. 88 (overturn California zero-emission-vehicle waiver) Senate roll 277 (2025) | Yea | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 87 Senate roll 279 (2025) | Yea | The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost. |
| H.J.Res. 89 Senate roll 281 (2025) | Yea | 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) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 87 Senate roll 279 (2025) | Yea | Environmental regulations on business should be reduced to boost economic growth. |
| H.J.Res. 89 Senate roll 281 (2025) | Yea | 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) | Yea | 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) | Yea | Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. |
| S.J.Res. 18 (overturn CFPB overdraft-fee rule) Senate roll 153 (2025) | Yea | Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. |
| S.J.Res. 37 (end the emergency behind tariffs on Canada) Senate roll 160 (2025) | Nay | Tariffs can be justified to protect domestic industries. |
| S.J.Res. 49 (end the emergency behind worldwide tariffs) Senate roll 225 (2025) | Nay | Tariffs can be justified to protect domestic industries. |
| S.J.Res. 37 (end the emergency behind tariffs on Canada) Senate roll 160 (2025) | Nay | Trade policy should prioritize consumer choice over domestic industrial protection. |
| S.J.Res. 49 (end the emergency behind worldwide tariffs) Senate roll 225 (2025) | Nay | 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 tax cut in history"; "Congress is not done tackling out-of-control spending" (2025-07-03) source
- H.R. 4, Rescissions: "I am happy to see USAID has been erased and folded into a reorganized State Department." (2025-07-17) source
- S. 9: "Protecting our daughters' and granddaughters' right to safe and fair competition is non-negotiable." (2025-02-28) source
DW-NOMINATE first dimension: 0.551 (from 882 votes; Voteview). Lane used for estimates: Mainstream Republican.
Closest ideologies
Neoconservatism89% similar positionRight-Wing Populism89% similar positionSocial Conservatism86% similar positionModerate Conservatism86% similar positionTraditional Conservatism86% similar position
Similar and contrasting figures
Giorgia Meloni93% similar · Historical and internationalMarco Rubio93% similar · US politiciansRon DeSantis91% similar · US politiciansWinston Churchill89% similar · Historical and internationalDonald Trump89% similar · US politiciansPeter KropotkinContrasting: 43% similarMikhail BakuninContrasting: 44% similarKarl MarxContrasting: 46% similar
Sources
Profile last reviewed October 20, 2026.