U.S. Representative
Emanuel Cleaver
Missouri District 5
DemocratProgressive
Contact
Voting Profile
Legislative Record
Most Active Policy Areas
#1 healthcare#2 agriculture#3 budget#4 other#5 banking finance
203
Votes Analyzed
Data sources: voteview, congress.gov
Political Position
Ideology Spectrum
-0.45Progressive
Representative Emanuel Cleaver is a progressive Democrat whose voting record places him to the left of his party's average. His NOMINATE score of -0.454 indicates consistent alignment with liberal policy positions, making him one of the more progressive members of the Democratic caucus.
LiberalModerateConservative
Democrat avg
Near the average for Democrats (-0.38)
Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)
Policy Positions
Category Breakdown
203
total votes analyzed
Overview
Emanuel Cleaver has represented Missouri in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat with a solidly progressive voting record. His legislative activity spans multiple policy areas, with particular focus on healthcare, agriculture, and budget matters. Cleaver's voting patterns show strong support for defense-related measures (83% yea) and agricultural legislation (62% yea), while his healthcare votes show more selectivity with 45% yea votes, suggesting careful evaluation of specific healthcare proposals rather than blanket support. His budget votes (59% yea) indicate general support for Democratic fiscal priorities. As a representative from Missouri, a state with significant agricultural interests, Cleaver's relatively high support for agriculture legislation reflects attention to constituent needs. His voting record demonstrates a consistently liberal approach to most policy questions while maintaining engagement across diverse legislative areas.
Key Positions
- •Consistently votes with progressive Democratic positions
- •Strong supporter of defense-related legislation
- •Active on agricultural policy matters relevant to Missouri
- •Selective approach to healthcare legislation
- •Generally supportive of Democratic budget priorities
By Policy Area
Healthcare110
45% yea55% nay
Agriculture29
62% yea38% nay
Budget & Spending29
59% yea41% nay
Other10
70% yea30% nay
Banking & Finance10
50% yea50% nay
Defense6
83% yea17% nay
Analysis updated: January 9, 2026
Campaign Finance
Follow the Money
Includes all authorized campaign committees (principal committee, joint fundraising, and other authorized committees). Outside spending by Super PACs and independent groups is shown separately below. Verify on FEC.gov →
Career: $13.3M
Fundraising Over Time
Raised per election cycleSpent
Contribution Sources
Individual$487K
36%
PAC / Committees$850K
64%
Individual Breakdown
Itemized (>$200)
$339K
Small Dollar (<$200)
$148K
Donation Sizes
Under $200
$192K · 41%
$200 – 499
$50K · 11%
$500 – 999
$48K · 10%
$1,000 – 1,999
$87K · 18%
$2,000+
$96K · 20%
Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.
Where the Money Comes From
In-state (MO)$207K · 64%
Out-of-state$118K · 36%
Itemized individual contributions only (donations over $200 report the donor's state). Small-dollar donations are not included because the FEC does not itemize them.
MO
$207K
KS
$17K
DC
$15K
MD
$12K
CA
$12K
TX
$11K
NY
$10K
CT
$9K
Top Contributors
Top Contributing Industries
Top Donor Employers
RETIRED$97K
SELF$31K
SELF EMPLOYED$29K
COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER$9K
HPI$7K
KIT BOND STRATEGIES, LLP.$6K
THEGROUP$6K
NORHLANE CAPITAL PARTNERS$6K
DEARBORN PARTNERS$5K
PELOFSKY CONSULTING$5K
GATES BAR-B-QUE$4K
BRYAN CAVE$4K
Employer as self-reported by itemized donors. “Not Employed” and “Self-Employed” typically rank highest for small-dollar campaigns and include retirees.
Where the Money Goes
Spending by Purpose
Other / Uncategorized
$423K
Administrative
$326K
Fundraising
$134K
Materials
$97K
Advertising
$38K
Travel
$19K
Transfers
$6K
Contributions
$300
Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.
Top Payees
1.$457K
POWERFUL PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS, LLC
2.$118K
NEW BLUE INTERACTIVE
3.$89K
AEG ARENA KANSAS CITY, LLC
4.$56K
GATES BAR-B-QUE
5.$25K
DCCC
6.$21K
T-MOBILE CENTER
7.$16K
CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS FOUNDATION
8.$15K
AMERICAN AIRLINES
Detailed Breakdown
Expenditures
Operating Costs
$1.1M
Net Operating
$1.1M
Transfers
Transfers Out
$6K
Outside Spending (Super PACs)
Supporting
$58K
Opposing
$326K
Total Outside Spending
$384K
Top Outside Spenders
01
$326KNATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE
-$326K
02
$25KBLACK/BROWN PAC
+$25K
03
$20KCONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE(CBC-PAC)
+$20K
04
$7KNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS
+$7K
05
$5KHEAVY CONSTRUCTORS ASSOCIATION OF GREATER K.C. AREA
+$5K
06
$380SIERRA CLUB POLITICAL COMMITTEE
+$380
07
$195.45PLANNED PARENTHOOD VOTES
+$195.45
08
$30SIERRA CLUB INDEPENDENT ACTION
+$30
Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.
Coverage: 1/1/2025 – 7/15/2026FEC: H4MO05234Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)
Voting Record
Congressional Votes
189 votes across 12 categories