Massachusetts Senators Are Among the Most Partisan and Unwilling to Work Across Aisle

Sunday, December 20, 2015

GoLocalWorcester News Team

US Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

A new study of the voting records of the United States Senate for the past 11 Congresses, 22 years, found that Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey were more partisan than many of what are considered “most extreme” Republicans in the United States Senate.

Both Warren and Markey are more partisan than GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and GOP Presidential Candidates Rick Santorum or Lindsey Graham.

Markey is in fact among the most partisan to serve in the United States Senate in the past 22 years.

Of the 227 who have served in the Senate, Markey ranks 211th — which puts Markey one position ahead of former NC Republican Senator Jesse Helms as being least likely to work with those across the aisle.

Americans Approval of Congress

"Americans' approval of Congress averaged 16% in 2015, just slightly better than the 14% average recorded in 2013, the lowest in Gallup's four-decade trend. This marks the sixth consecutive year, and the seventh in the last eight years, in which fewer than 20% of Americans approved of Congress," according to Gallup.

The late US Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA)

Partisanship is the major cause of voter disapproval. "The public appears to be frustrated with the federal government's seeming inability to address the problems facing the country, with attempts to address issues such as immigration or the economy ending in a partisan stalemate. In recent years, when Gallup has asked Americans to name the most important problem facing the country, dissatisfaction with the government has consistently ranked among the top issues. In 2015, it received more mentions, on average, than any other issue, edging out the economy."

Senators Brown and Kennedy Least Partisan in MA

During this 22 year period, Massachusetts has had five Senators. The most willing to work with the other party was moderate Republican Scott Brown ranked 42nd and the second most likely was the late Senator Ted Kennedy ranked 119th.

Kennedy is followed by John Kerry at 136th, Warren 146th and Markey 211st for bipartisanship.

In contrast, Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee was the overall least partisan of the 227 Senators who served. Chafee, of course, switched to being an Independent when he ran for Governor in 2010 and became a Democrat and ran for President in 2015 -- Chafee ranked number one for bipartisanship.

The most partisan according to the Index is former U.S. Jim DeMint of South Carolina who came in at #227.

Former US Senator Scott Brown (R-MA)

The study was developed by the Lugar Center at Georgetown University — founded by former Indiana Senator Dick Lugar. He formerly served in the Senate as a Republican who was known for his work in building consensus on tough foreign policy and economic issues.

The Bipartisan Index is intended to fill a hole in the information available to the public about the performance of members of Congress. There are innumerable studies, rankings, and indexes that grade members according to a partisan, parochial, or special-interest standards.

Related Slideshow: MA’s Biggest Political Comebacks in History

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Congressman Jim McGovern

Lost first congressional run in 1994

McGovern first ran for Congress in 1994, but lost in the Democratic primary to Massachusetts State Representative Kevin O’Sullivan. McGovern ran again two years later and defeated Republican incumbent Peter Blute.

He would go on to be re-elected seven times to Massachusetts’ 3rd congressional district. Now in his ninth term, McGovern currently represents Massachusetts’ 2nd congressional district. He serves as the second ranking Democrat on the Rules Committee, and as a member of the House Agriculture Committee.

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Former Gov. Michael Dukakis

Lost 1978 Democratic gubernatorial primary

After serving one term as Governor of Massachusetts, Dukakis was defeated by Edward King in the 1978 Democratic primary. Despite the major defeat, Dukakis was able to beat King four years later in the Democratic primary and would go on to win the general election against Republican opponent John Winthrop Sears. Dukakis also won re-election in 1986.

In addition to serving three terms as Governor, Dukakis also served four terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and was the Democratic Presidential nominee in 1988. Dukakis went on to serve for over a decade as a visiting professor at Northeastern University and as a lecturer in public management at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

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Former Gov. Mitt Romney

Lost 1994 US Senate Race

After losing the 1994 U.S. Senate race to incumbent Ted Kennedy, Romney staged a huge political comeback in 2002 when he was elected Governor of Massachusetts. During his tenure, Romney signed Massachusetts’ health reform law, also known as “Romneycare” into law. In 2008, Romney ran an unsuccessful bid to secure his party’s Presidential nomination, but would go on to be the Republican Presidential nominee in 2012.

Romney has kept a low profile since losing to President Obama, but did join the board of Marriott International for a third stint as a director in December 2012. Outside of politics, Romney's positions have included being CEO of Bain Capital and president and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2012 Winter Olympic Games.

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Former House Speaker Tip O’Neill

Lost first ever electoral bid

Although he is known as the second longest-serving House Speaker in US history, O’Neill’s political career actually began with defeat. In fact, O’Neill lost his first-ever electoral bid in 1932 when he ran for a seat on the Cambridge City Council. The defeat would prove to be an anomaly for O’Neill who would go on to be elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1936 and later, the US House of Representatives in 1953. During his 34-year tenure in the US House, O’Neill served as Speaker from 1977 until his retirement in 1987.

After his retirement, O’Neill published an autobiography in 1987 and was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991. He died in 1994 as the result of heart attack.

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35th President John F. Kennedy

Lost vice presidential bid in 1956

Despite an unblemished electoral record that included being elected to the US House of Representatives in 1946 and the US Senate in 1952, Kennedy suffered an embarrassing loss in 1956 when he was the vice presidential candidate for Adlai Stevenson. One of the most lopsided elections in presidential history, incumbent President Dwight D. Eisenhower won 457 electoral vote compared to just 73 for Stevenson.

Kennedy would go on to win the presidency four years later by defeating then-Vice President Richard Nixon. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 and is remembered as one of the most influential presidents in US history.

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Former Senator Ted Kennedy

Lost 1980 Democratic presidential primary

After serving 18 years in the US Senate, Kennedy made his one and only bid for the presidency in 1980 and was defeated in the Democratic primary by incumbent President Jimmy Carter. Despite the tough loss, Kennedy would go on to serve in the US Senate until 2009, making him the fourth longest-serving senator in US history.

During his 47-year tenure, Kennedy played a major role in passing many laws that addressed health insurance, immigration, civil rights, education, and mental health benefits. He died of brain cancer in 2009.