Jeff Merkley
U.S. Senator (Democrat) from Oregon, serving since 2009
Official U.S. Congress photo (public domain)
U.S. Senator for Oregon (Democratic), in Congress since 2009. Estimated from 10 recorded votes, 5 documented positions and the Progressive Democrat lane (chosen from their DW-NOMINATE voting score (-0.453, 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 | 15 | 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 | 17 | 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 | 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 |
| Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples. | Strongly agrees | documented |
| 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 |
| 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. 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. 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: "It's immoral to finance tax cuts for the rich, by taking food off the plates of kids across this country" (2025-05-22) source
- H.R. 4, Rescissions: "Dismantling USAID makes America less safe." (2025-07-17) source
- S. 9: Signed a Nov 2025 Supreme Court amicus brief backing the transgender athletes in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J.: "Amici respectfully urge the Court to rule for Respondents, Hecox and B.P.J." (2025-11-17) source
Documented positions
- 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
- Workers should have strong legal protections to form and join labor unions.: Sponsored a bill strengthening union organizing. source
- Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging.: Opposes military force against Iran without congressional approval. source
- The government should require a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, even at significant cost.: Backs the Green New Deal's 10-year national mobilization. source
- Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples.: Supports recognition of same-sex marriage. source
DW-NOMINATE first dimension: -0.453 (from 901 votes; Voteview). Lane used for estimates: Progressive Democrat.
Closest ideologies
Democratic Socialism94% similar positionEurocommunism93% similar positionUtopian Socialism92% 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.