Sen. John McCain of Arizona is just one of eight Republicans who tied as most conservative senator in National Journal’s 2010 vote ratings. This is the first time McCain has received such a high conservative ranking. Here’s a look at the senators who are joining him as the Top Ten Most Conservative Senators:
For the Top Ten Most Conservative Representatives head to the end of the gallery.
Tied for 1st – Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo.
(Liz Lynch)
Barrasso moved further right on the conservative scale. In 2009 he was 13th most conservative senator.
GALLERY: Who are the most liberal members of Congress?
Tied for 1st – Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Chambliss makes a big jump, moving from 20th most conservative senator in 2009 to tying for 1st in 2010.
Tied for 1st – Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas
(Liz Lynch)
Cornyn was 12th most conservative senator in 2009 with a composite score of 88, just two less then his composite score of 90 in 2010.
Tied for 1st – Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho
(Almanac Of American Politics)
Crapo not only tied for 1st, he received the exact same score as fellow Idaho GOP Sen. James Risch. Idaho is among seven states where senators received identical scores.
Tied for 1st – Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.
(Chet Susslin)
DeMint is on a vote ratings roller coaster. He was the second most conservative senator in 2009, the fifth most in 2008 and the most conservative senator in 2007.
Tied for 1st – Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
(Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
This is the first time McCain has received such a high conservative ranking. His average rank between 2000 and 2007 was the 44th most conservative member of the Senate.
Tied for 1st – Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho
(Almanac Of American Politics)
Risch ranked 5th most conservative in 2009 with a composite score of 90.8.
Tied for 1st – Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.
(Chet Susslin)
If he changes his mind about running for president in 2012, Thune can claim conservative credentials. He is tied for most conservative senator.
9th – Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.
(Chet Susslin)
Coburn ranked 4th most conservative in 2009 with a composite score of 93.0.
10th – Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.
(Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Wicker, who was ranked 25th most conservative in 2009, received a composite score of 86.8 in 2010, his most conservative rating in three years in the Senate.
Top Ten Most Conservative Representatives
Tied for 1st – (from left to right) Reps. Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas; Sam Johnson, R-Texas; Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; Doug Lamborn, R-Colo.; Trent Franks, R-Ariz.
(Almanac Of American Politics)
Five representatives tied for most conservative in the 2010 vote rankings with a composite score of 95.0. Franks, Lamborn, and Neugebauer were ranked 1st most conservative in 2009. For Franks this is his 4th straight year tied as the most conservative House member.
GALLERY: Who are the most liberal members of Congress?
6th – Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio; 7th – Rep. Pete Olson, R-Texas; 8th – Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio; 9th – Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio; 10th – Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas.
(Almanac Of American Politics)
Only one of the 10 most conservative members of the House was a woman: Schmidt. The next most conservative woman in the House for 2010 is Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., who tied for 19th. Also missing from the Top Ten was Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., who was passed over for House Appropriations Committee chairman amid concerns about his conservative credentials. Lewis was the 22nd most conservative House member in 2010.
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