Most Liberal Members of Congress

Nine senators tied for most liberal in National Journal's 2010 Vote Ratings issue. Here's a look at the 10 most-liberal senators:

For the 10 most-liberal representatives head to the end of the gallery.

Tied for first—Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio

Although he could face a tough reelection battle in 2012, Brown shows no signs of trimming his sails. He was tied as the most-liberal senator in 2009, making it two years straight he’s been tied for most liberal.

GALLERY:Who are the most conservative members of Congress?

Tied for first—Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md.

Both Maryland senators tied most-liberal senator in the 2010 vote ratings. Cardin also tied for most-liberal senator in 2009.

Tied for first—Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

Leahy was the 29th most-liberal senator in 2009 with a composite score of 73.8.

Tied for first—Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

Levin tied for 11th most liberal in the 2009 vote ratings with a composite score of 84.3.

Tied for first—Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md.

Mikulski ranked eighth most liberal in 2009 with a composite score of 85.2, which was a more-liberal score then the 83.3 that tied her for most liberal in 2010.

Tied for first—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Reid made a big jump to tie as the most-liberal senator in the 2010 ratings. He was 22nd most liberal in 2009 and the 25th most liberal in 2008.

Tied for first—Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Sanders is the only independent senator with a most-liberal vote rating in 2010.

Tied for first—Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

Stabenow ranked the 21st most-liberal senator in 2009 with a composite score of 78.3.

Tied for first—Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.

Whitehouse also tied for the title of most-liberal senator in 2009.

Tied for 10th—(left to right) Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Jack Reed, D-R.I.

Senators from seven states had identical liberal scores. Gillibrand and Schumer are one set of the pairs.

Top Ten Liberal Representatives

Tied for first—Reps. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Judy Chu, D-Calif., John Lewis, D-Ga., Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., John Olver, D-Mass., Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., and Linda Sanchez, D-Calif.

In 2010, four of the 10 most-liberal members of the House were women (pictured above). Rep. Niki Tsongas, D-Mass., almost made the list as the 11th most-liberal member in 2010, a big jump from the 51st most liberal in 2009.

GALLERY:Who are the most conservative members of Congress?

Tied for eighth—(left to right) Reps. Edward Markey, D-Mass., George Miller, D-Calif., and Jim McGovern, D-Mass.

With composite scores of 95.3, Markey, Miller, and McGovern round out the 10 most-liberal members of the House. All three members had a composite score in the 80s in the 2009 vote ratings.

GALLERY:Who are the most conservative members of Congress?

Want to stay ahead of the curve? Sign up for National Journal’s AM & PM Must Reads. News and analysis to ensure you don’t miss a thing.