MONTHLY REPORT · OCTOBER 2026
Senate approval rose 3.8 points to 47.4%, and House approval rose 4.1 points to 47.9%
By USApprate · Data through October 31, 2026
This report summarizes community approval ratings recorded on USApprate through the end of October 2026. Visitors cast 5,147 votes during the month (5,065 on members of Congress, 4 on parties and 78 on Cabinet posts), and 545 senators and representatives had at least one rating on file by month's end.
Jefferson Shreve (House · Indiana-6) held the highest rating among members with at least 10 votes, at 73.7%. The largest gain belonged to Barry Moore, up 24.7 points.
Senate vs. House in October 2026
Senate approval rose 3.8 points to 47.4%. House approval rose 4.1 points to 47.9%.
The House finished 0.5 points ahead of the Senate. The House moved more over the month, by 4.1 points.
The Senate figure rests on 2,983 votes across 100 rated senators; the House figure on 8,625 votes across 445 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 | 47.4% | +3.8 | 100 | 2,983 |
| House | 47.9% | +4.1 | 445 | 8,625 |
Party comparison
Independent members led at 63.3% across 3 rated members, followed by Republican at 53.0%, then Democratic at 41.7%; the spread from top to bottom was 21.6 points.
Independent members' pooled approval fell 2.4 points to 63.3%. Republican members' pooled approval jumped 6.6 points to 53.0%. Democratic members' pooled approval rose 1.2 points to 41.7%.
Votes on the parties themselves are tracked separately from votes on members. Cumulative to month's end: Democratic Party at 61.5% on 13 votes; Republican Party at 23.1% on 13 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 | 63.3% | −2.4 | 3 | 139 |
| Republican | 53.0% | +6.6 | 277 | 5,957 |
| Democratic | 41.7% | +1.2 | 265 | 5,512 |
Highest-rated members
Jefferson Shreve (House · Indiana-6) topped the list at 73.7% across 19 votes, ahead of Tracey Mann (73.7%) and William R. Timmons (73.7%).
Of the 10 members listed, 0 are senators and 10 are representatives. By party: Republican 10.
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 | Jefferson Shreve | Republican | 73.7% | 19 |
| 2 | Tracey Mann | Republican | 73.7% | 19 |
| 3 | William R. Timmons | Republican | 73.7% | 19 |
| 4 | Sheri Biggs | Republican | 72.2% | 18 |
| 5 | Carol D. Miller | Republican | 72.2% | 18 |
| 6 | Dan Newhouse | Republican | 72.2% | 18 |
| 7 | Adrian Smith | Republican | 72.2% | 18 |
| 8 | Mark Harris | Republican | 71.4% | 21 |
| 9 | Julia Letlow | Republican | 71.4% | 21 |
| 10 | Andrew R. Garbarino | Republican | 71.4% | 21 |
Lowest-rated members
Eric Swalwell (House · California-14) sat at the bottom of the list at 12.5% across 24 votes, ahead of Mitch McConnell (14.0%) and Julie Johnson (15.0%).
Of the 10 members listed, 3 are senators and 7 are representatives. By party: Democratic 6, Republican 4.
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 | Eric Swalwell | Democratic | 12.5% | 24 |
| 2 | Mitch McConnell | Republican | 14.0% | 57 |
| 3 | Julie Johnson | Democratic | 15.0% | 20 |
| 4 | Gabe Amo | Democratic | 22.2% | 18 |
| 5 | Nikki Budzinski | Democratic | 22.2% | 18 |
| 6 | Darline Graham | Republican | 23.8% | 21 |
| 7 | Tommy Tuberville | Republican | 24.5% | 49 |
| 8 | Mike Johnson | Republican | 26.1% | 46 |
| 9 | Rosa L. DeLauro | Democratic | 26.3% | 19 |
| 10 | April McClain Delaney | Democratic | 26.3% | 19 |
Biggest movers vs. September
Barry Moore (House · Alabama-1) made the largest gain, up 24.7 points from 36.4% to 61.1%.
Steve Cohen (House · Tennessee-9) recorded the steepest decline, down 21.1 points from 60.0% to 38.9%.
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Moore | Republican | 36.4% | 61.1% | +24.7 |
| Kat Cammack | Republican | 23.1% | 47.4% | +24.3 |
| Young Kim | Republican | 45.5% | 68.4% | +22.9 |
| Nicole Malliotakis | Republican | 45.5% | 68.4% | +22.9 |
| Matt Van Epps | Republican | 36.4% | 57.9% | +21.5 |
| Member | Party | Previous | Now | Change (pts) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Cohen | Democratic | 60.0% | 38.9% | −21.1 |
| Cleo Fields | Democratic | 63.6% | 44.4% | −19.2 |
| Pablo Jose Hernández | Democratic | 50.0% | 31.6% | −18.4 |
| John Boozman | Republican | 63.6% | 47.8% | −15.8 |
| Eric Swalwell | Democratic | 27.3% | 12.5% | −14.8 |
State highlights
Among states whose members drew at least 20 combined votes, Vermont (61.8%), North Dakota (61.5%) and Utah (59.8%) had the highest pooled approval.
Connecticut (36.9%), New Hampshire (37.8%) and Maryland (40.1%) had the lowest.
California drew the most attention overall: 1,067 votes across 55 rated members, at 44.0% approval.
| State | Approval | Votes | Rated members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 61.8% | 131 | 3 |
| North Dakota | 61.5% | 65 | 3 |
| Utah | 59.8% | 127 | 6 |
| State | Approval | Votes | Rated members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 36.9% | 141 | 7 |
| New Hampshire | 37.8% | 82 | 4 |
| Maryland | 40.1% | 202 | 10 |
Vote volume
Visitors cast 5,147 votes in October 2026: 5,065 on individual members, 4 on parties and 78 on Cabinet posts.
That is 40% up from September's 3,673 votes.
October 13 was the busiest day for member votes, with 782.
| Category | This month | Previous month |
|---|---|---|
| Member votes | 5,065 | 3,624 |
| Party votes | 4 | 6 |
| Cabinet votes | 78 | 43 |
| All votes | 5,147 | 3,673 |
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.