MONTHLY REPORT · AUGUST 2026
Senate approval fell 4.6 points to 42.1%, and House approval dropped 5.1 points to 42.0%
By USApprate · Data through August 31, 2026
This report summarizes community approval ratings recorded on USApprate through the end of August 2026. Visitors cast 817 votes during the month (771 on members of Congress, 3 on parties and 43 on Cabinet posts), and 538 senators and representatives had at least one rating on file by month's end.
James P. McGovern (House · Massachusetts-2) held the highest rating among members with at least 10 votes, at 81.8%.
Senate vs. House in August 2026
Senate approval fell 4.6 points to 42.1%. House approval dropped 5.1 points to 42.0%.
The Senate finished 0.1 points ahead of the House. The House moved more over the month, by 5.1 points.
The Senate figure rests on 732 votes across 98 rated senators; the House figure on 2,200 votes across 440 rated representatives. Both are pooled rates, so members with more votes weigh more heavily in the result.
| Chamber | Approval | Change (pts) | Rated members | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | 42.1% | −4.6 | 98 | 732 |
| House | 42.0% | −5.1 | 440 | 2,200 |
Party comparison
Independent members led at 65.2% across 3 rated members, followed by Democratic at 43.7%, then Republican at 40.2%; the spread from top to bottom was 25.0 points.
Independent members' pooled approval jumped 10.7 points to 65.2%. Democratic members' pooled approval dropped 6.1 points to 43.7%. Republican members' pooled approval fell 4.4 points to 40.2%.
Votes on the parties themselves are tracked separately from votes on members. Cumulative to month's end: Democratic Party at 66.7% on 9 votes; Republican Party at 25.0% on 8 votes; Independent at 50.0% on 2 votes.
Party figures describe who chose to vote on USApprate, not the electorate as a whole, and members of different parties are rated by different mixes of visitors. They are useful for tracking change over time, less so for deciding which party is "more popular".
| Party | Approval | Change (pts) | Rated members | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | 65.2% | +10.7 | 3 | 23 |
| Democratic | 43.7% | −6.1 | 262 | 1,383 |
| Republican | 40.2% | −4.4 | 273 | 1,526 |
Highest-rated members
James P. McGovern (House · Massachusetts-2) topped the list at 81.8% across 11 votes, ahead of Bernard Sanders (72.7%) and Richard E. Neal (72.7%).
Of the 10 members listed, 7 are senators and 3 are representatives. By party: Democratic 9, Independent 1.
Only members with at least 10 votes are listed, so one or two early votes cannot produce a headline rate. Rank order between members a point or two apart is not meaningful.
| # | Member | Party | Approval | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James P. McGovern | Democratic | 81.8% | 11 |
| 2 | Bernard Sanders | Independent | 72.7% | 11 |
| 3 | Richard E. Neal | Democratic | 72.7% | 11 |
| 4 | Mark Kelly | Democratic | 63.6% | 11 |
| 5 | Christian D. Menefee | Democratic | 60.0% | 10 |
| 6 | Sheldon Whitehouse | Democratic | 60.0% | 10 |
| 7 | Tina Smith | Democratic | 60.0% | 10 |
| 8 | Jon Ossoff | Democratic | 58.3% | 12 |
| 9 | Amy Klobuchar | Democratic | 58.3% | 12 |
| 10 | Mark R. Warner | Democratic | 54.5% | 11 |
Lowest-rated members
James E. Risch (Senate · Idaho) sat at the bottom of the list at 14.3% across 14 votes, ahead of Tommy Tuberville (18.2%) and Ashley Moody (20.0%).
Of the 10 members listed, 10 are senators and 0 are representatives. By party: Republican 9, Democratic 1.
Only members with at least 10 votes are listed, so one or two early votes cannot produce a headline rate. Rank order between members a point or two apart is not meaningful.
| # | Member | Party | Approval | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James E. Risch | Republican | 14.3% | 14 |
| 2 | Tommy Tuberville | Republican | 18.2% | 11 |
| 3 | Ashley Moody | Republican | 20.0% | 10 |
| 4 | David McCormick | Republican | 23.1% | 13 |
| 5 | Jon Husted | Republican | 25.0% | 12 |
| 6 | John Fetterman | Democratic | 28.6% | 14 |
| 7 | Mitch McConnell | Republican | 30.8% | 13 |
| 8 | Ted Cruz | Republican | 30.8% | 13 |
| 9 | Eric Schmitt | Republican | 36.4% | 11 |
| 10 | Josh Hawley | Republican | 36.4% | 11 |
Biggest movers vs. July
No member with at least 10 votes in both months changed by 0.1 points or more.
State highlights
Among states whose members drew at least 20 combined votes, Vermont (55.0%), Massachusetts (54.4%) and Louisiana (50.0%) had the highest pooled approval.
Mississippi (28.1%), Idaho (29.0%) and Connecticut (29.4%) had the lowest.
California drew the most attention overall: 266 votes across 53 rated members, at 43.2% approval.
| State | Approval | Votes | Rated members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 55.0% | 20 | 3 |
| Massachusetts | 54.4% | 68 | 11 |
| Louisiana | 50.0% | 44 | 8 |
| State | Approval | Votes | Rated members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 28.1% | 32 | 6 |
| Idaho | 29.0% | 31 | 4 |
| Connecticut | 29.4% | 34 | 7 |
Vote volume
Visitors cast 817 votes in August 2026: 771 on individual members, 3 on parties and 43 on Cabinet posts.
That is 693% up from July's 103 votes.
August 18 was the busiest day for member votes, with 237.
| Category | This month | Previous month |
|---|---|---|
| Member votes | 771 | 67 |
| Party votes | 3 | 4 |
| Cabinet votes | 43 | 32 |
| All votes | 817 | 103 |
Methodology and limits
USApprate ratings are community ratings. Each visitor can support or oppose a member of Congress, a party or a Cabinet post, once each, and can change that vote later. Approval is support divided by support plus oppose.
These are not scientific polls. Voters are self-selected, are not weighted to match the US population, and are not a representative sample, so a rate here should not be read as national opinion or as a forecast of any election.
Chamber, party and state figures pool all votes rather than averaging members. Member tables list only members with at least 10 votes and state comparisons need at least 20 combined votes. Figures come from the last daily snapshot of the month; changes compare it with the last snapshot of the month before.