U.S. Senator
John W. Hickenlooper
Colorado
DemocratModerate Liberal
Contact
Voting Profile
Legislative Record
Most Active Policy Areas
#1 healthcare#2 other#3 environment energy#4 defense
86
Votes Analyzed
Data sources: voteview, congress.gov
Political Position
Ideology Spectrum
-0.29Moderate Liberal
Senator Hickenlooper's voting record places him as a moderate liberal within the Democratic Party, with an ideology score that is somewhat more conservative than the average Democrat. His positions reflect a pragmatic approach that balances progressive priorities with centrist tendencies on certain issues.
LiberalModerateConservative
Democrat avg
Near the average for Democrats (-0.38)
Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)
Policy Positions
Category Breakdown
86
total votes analyzed
Overview
John Hickenlooper serves as a U.S. Senator from Colorado, bringing his background as a former governor and businessman to federal policymaking. His voting record demonstrates strong support for Democratic priorities while occasionally showing independence from the party's more progressive wing. His legislative activity shows particular engagement on healthcare and environmental issues, which aligns with Colorado's diverse political landscape that includes both urban progressive centers and more conservative rural areas. His 100% support rate on defense-related votes indicates a strong stance on national security matters. Hickenlooper's positioning slightly to the right of the average Democrat may reflect both his personal political philosophy and the competitive nature of Colorado politics, where appealing to independent and moderate voters remains important for electoral success.
Key Positions
- •Strong support for defense and national security measures (100% yea rate)
- •Generally supportive of environmental and energy legislation (75% yea rate)
- •Mixed record on healthcare votes, supporting some measures while opposing others
- •Consistent support for Biden administration judicial and executive nominations
- •Opposed certain agricultural measures that came to a vote
By Policy Area
Healthcare44
55% yea45% nay
Other14
57% yea43% nay
Environment & Energy12
75% yea25% nay
Defense7
100% yea0% 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: $54.5M
Fundraising Over Time
Raised per election cycleSpent
Contribution Sources
Individual$7.6M
87%
PAC / Committees$1.1M
12%
Party Committee$62K
1%
Individual Breakdown
Itemized (>$200)
$5.6M
Small Dollar (<$200)
$1.9M
Donation Sizes
Under $200
$1.8M · 25%
$200 – 499
$237K · 3%
$500 – 999
$531K · 8%
$1,000 – 1,999
$952K · 13%
$2,000+
$3.6M · 51%
Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.
Where the Money Comes From
In-state (CO)$1.8M · 32%
Out-of-state$4.0M · 68%
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.
CO
$1.8M
NY
$679K
CA
$674K
TX
$330K
MA
$270K
IL
$258K
FL
$208K
DC
$154K
Top Contributors
Top Contributing Industries
Top Donor Employers
NOT EMPLOYED$2.0M
SELF EMPLOYED$459K
CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS$48K
NEXTERA ENERGY$25K
APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT$25K
MICROSOFT CORPORATION$21K
XCEL ENERGY$20K
COMCAST$20K
APOLLO$17K
BROWNSTEIN HYATT FARBER SCHRECK, LLP$15K
U.S. SENATE$15K
INTERMEDIATE CAPITAL GROUP$14K
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
$4.0M
Advertising
$2.4M
Fundraising
$820K
Administrative
$86K
Refunds
$82K
Materials
$12K
Contributions
$1K
Travel
$500.42
Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.
Top Payees
1.$1.4M
ASCEND DIGITAL STRATEGIES, LLC
2.$1.1M
GAMBIT STRATEGIES LLC
3.$983K
CANAL PARTNERS MEDIA
4.$604K
PAYROLL DATA PROCESSING
5.$495K
QCT PRODUCTION
6.$484K
GUSTO
7.$465K
SALK STRATEGIES
8.$339K
AMERICAN EXPRESS
Detailed Breakdown
Expenditures
Operating Costs
$9.7M
Operating Offsets
$115K
Net Operating
$9.6M
Refunds
Individual Refunds
$59K
Committee Refunds
$31K
Outside Spending (Super PACs)
Supporting
$7.7M
Opposing
$33.5M
Total Outside Spending
$41.3M
Top Outside Spenders
01
$15.7MSENATE LEADERSHIP FUND
-$15.7M
02
$15.5MNRSC
-$15.5M
03
$5.3MSMP
+$5.3M
04
$1.5MFAIR SHARE ACTION
+$1.5M
05
$1.1MESAFUND
-$1.1M
06
$774KNRA VICTORY FUND, INC.
-$774K
07
$648KNRDC ACTION VOTES
+$648K
08
$300KAMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY ACTION, INC.(AFP ACTION)
-$300K
Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.
Coverage: 1/1/2021 – 6/30/2026FEC: S0CO00575Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)
Voting Record
Congressional Votes
67 votes across 9 categories