MONTHLY REPORT · SEPTEMBER 2026
Senate approval rose 1.5 points to 43.6%, and House approval rose 1.8 points to 43.8%
By USApprate · Data through September 30, 2026
This report summarizes community approval ratings recorded on USApprate through the end of September 2026. Visitors cast 3,673 votes during the month (3,624 on members of Congress, 6 on parties and 43 on Cabinet posts), and 538 senators and representatives had at least one rating on file by month's end.
Bernard Sanders (Senate · Vermont) held the highest rating among members with at least 10 votes, at 76.9%. The largest gain belonged to Jeff Merkley, up 14.5 points.
Senate vs. House in September 2026
Senate approval rose 1.5 points to 43.6%. House approval rose 1.8 points to 43.8%.
The House finished 0.2 points ahead of the Senate. The House moved more over the month, by 1.8 points.
The Senate figure rests on 1,580 votes across 98 rated senators; the House figure on 4,976 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 | 43.6% | +1.5 | 98 | 1,580 |
| House | 43.8% | +1.8 | 440 | 4,976 |
Party comparison
Independent members led at 65.7% across 3 rated members, followed by Republican at 46.4%, then Democratic at 40.5%; the spread from top to bottom was 25.2 points.
Independent members' pooled approval edged up 0.5 points to 65.7%. Republican members' pooled approval jumped 6.2 points to 46.4%. Democratic members' pooled approval fell 3.2 points to 40.5%.
Votes on the parties themselves are tracked separately from votes on members. Cumulative to month's end: Democratic Party at 54.5% on 11 votes; Republican Party at 27.3% on 11 votes; Independent at 66.7% on 3 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 | 65.7% | +0.5 | 3 | 67 |
| Republican | 46.4% | +6.2 | 273 | 3,328 |
| Democratic | 40.5% | −3.2 | 262 | 3,161 |
Highest-rated members
Bernard Sanders (Senate · Vermont) topped the list at 76.9% across 39 votes, ahead of Bruce Westerman (70.0%) and J. French Hill (70.0%).
Of the 10 members listed, 2 are senators and 8 are representatives. By party: Republican 7, Democratic 2, 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 | Bernard Sanders | Independent | 76.9% | 39 |
| 2 | Bruce Westerman | Republican | 70.0% | 10 |
| 3 | J. French Hill | Republican | 70.0% | 10 |
| 4 | Rashida Tlaib | Democratic | 66.7% | 18 |
| 5 | Thomas Massie | Republican | 66.7% | 18 |
| 6 | Martin Heinrich | Democratic | 66.7% | 12 |
| 7 | Brad Finstad | Republican | 66.7% | 12 |
| 8 | Julia Letlow | Republican | 66.7% | 12 |
| 9 | Beth Van Duyne | Republican | 66.7% | 12 |
| 10 | Ken Calvert | Republican | 66.7% | 12 |
Lowest-rated members
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (House · Washington-3) sat at the bottom of the list at 14.3% across 14 votes, ahead of Henry Cuellar (15.4%) and Jared F. Golden (16.7%).
Of the 10 members listed, 1 is a senators and 9 are representatives. By party: Democratic 8, Republican 2.
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 | Marie Gluesenkamp Perez | Democratic | 14.3% | 14 |
| 2 | Henry Cuellar | Democratic | 15.4% | 13 |
| 3 | Jared F. Golden | Democratic | 16.7% | 12 |
| 4 | Mitch McConnell | Republican | 17.9% | 28 |
| 5 | Maria Elvira Salazar | Republican | 18.2% | 22 |
| 6 | Rick Larsen | Democratic | 18.2% | 11 |
| 7 | Julie Johnson | Democratic | 20.0% | 10 |
| 8 | Timothy M. Kennedy | Democratic | 20.0% | 10 |
| 9 | Gabe Amo | Democratic | 20.0% | 10 |
| 10 | Nikki Budzinski | Democratic | 20.0% | 10 |
Biggest movers vs. August
Jeff Merkley (Senate · Oregon) made the largest gain, up 14.5 points from 40.0% to 54.5%.
Richard E. Neal (House · Massachusetts-1) recorded the steepest decline, down 27.7 points from 72.7% to 45.0%.
A swing of a few points among members with only a few dozen votes can come from a handful of voters. Check the vote count before reading a change as a trend.
| Member | Party | Previous | Now | Change (pts) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Merkley | Democratic | 40.0% | 54.5% | +14.5 |
| James E. Risch | Republican | 14.3% | 26.9% | +12.6 |
| Tommy Tuberville | Republican | 18.2% | 25.0% | +6.8 |
| Ted Cruz | Republican | 30.8% | 36.4% | +5.6 |
| Ashley Moody | Republican | 20.0% | 25.0% | +5.0 |
| Member | Party | Previous | Now | Change (pts) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard E. Neal | Democratic | 72.7% | 45.0% | −27.7 |
| James P. McGovern | Democratic | 81.8% | 61.1% | −20.7 |
| Tina Smith | Democratic | 60.0% | 42.9% | −17.1 |
| Mitch McConnell | Republican | 30.8% | 17.9% | −12.9 |
| Sheldon Whitehouse | Democratic | 60.0% | 47.6% | −12.4 |
State highlights
Among states whose members drew at least 20 combined votes, Vermont (63.3%), North Dakota (55.6%) and Arizona (53.0%) had the highest pooled approval.
Connecticut (32.5%), Florida (33.9%) and New Hampshire (35.4%) had the lowest.
California drew the most attention overall: 592 votes across 53 rated members, at 43.4% approval.
| State | Approval | Votes | Rated members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 63.3% | 60 | 3 |
| North Dakota | 55.6% | 36 | 3 |
| Arizona | 53.0% | 151 | 11 |
| State | Approval | Votes | Rated members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 32.5% | 77 | 7 |
| Florida | 33.9% | 404 | 30 |
| New Hampshire | 35.4% | 48 | 4 |
Vote volume
Visitors cast 3,673 votes in September 2026: 3,624 on individual members, 6 on parties and 43 on Cabinet posts.
That is 350% up from August's 817 votes.
September 18 was the busiest day for member votes, with 764.
| Category | This month | Previous month |
|---|---|---|
| Member votes | 3,624 | 771 |
| Party votes | 6 | 3 |
| Cabinet votes | 43 | 43 |
| All votes | 3,673 | 817 |
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.