Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet and Republican Rep. Cory Gardner tour Northern Colorado businesses together in 2011. In recent partisanship rankings, Gardner is among the most conservative House members and Bennet is among the most moderate Senate members.
WASHINGTON — New rankings on partisanship among members of Congress puts Rep. Cory Gardner among the most conservative members in the U.S. House of Representatives and Sen. Michael Bennet as among the most moderate senators.
In its annual rankings that evaluate votes over the past year, the National Journal ranked Gardner, a Republican from Yuma, as 10th most conservative member in the House.
Bennet, a Democrat elected in 2010, is the 45th most liberal member in the Senate. His Democratic colleague Sen. Mark Udall is the 39th most liberal, according to the National Journal Senate rankings.
Bennet’s ranking comes from votes cast last year — before he took over one of the fundraising arm of the Democratic party as chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Other House members rank as follows:
Rep. Diana DeGette, a Democrat from Denver, ranks 32nd most liberal.
Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Republican from Colorado Springs, ranks 31st most conservative.
Rep. Ed Perlmutter, a Democrat from Jefferson County, ranks 160th most liberal.
Rep. Jared Polis, a Democrat from Boulder, ranks 146th most liberal.
Rep. Mike Coffman, a Republican from Aurora, ranks 82nd most conservative.
Rep. Scott Tipton, a Republican from Cortez, ranks 139th most conservative — roughly equaling Polis in partisanship.