U.S. Representative
Paul Tonko
New York District 20
DemocratProgressive
Contact
Voting Profile
Legislative Record
Most Active Policy Areas
#1 healthcare#2 agriculture#3 budget#4 other#5 banking finance
150
Votes Analyzed
Data sources: voteview, congress.gov
Political Position
Ideology Spectrum
-0.42Progressive
Paul Tonko is a progressive Democrat whose voting record places him slightly to the left of his party's average in the House. His NOMINATE score of -0.416 indicates he consistently supports liberal policy positions, particularly on healthcare and social issues.
LiberalModerateConservative
Democrat avg
Near the average for Democrats (-0.38)
Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)
Policy Positions
Category Breakdown
150
total votes analyzed
Overview
Representative Paul Tonko has served New York in the U.S. House of Representatives as a reliable member of the Democratic caucus. His voting record shows strong alignment with his party's positions, particularly on procedural matters and major legislation. Based on the available voting data from 2009, Tonko was active during a significant period of Democratic legislative priorities, including healthcare reform efforts. His voting patterns show consistent support for Democratic leadership positions on procedural votes, which are often used to advance the majority party's agenda. Tonko's record spans multiple policy areas, with particular activity in healthcare legislation where he cast 93 recorded votes. His voting patterns suggest priorities aligned with expanding healthcare access and supporting budgetary measures favored by his party.
Key Positions
- •Supports Democratic healthcare initiatives with 93 votes in this policy area
- •Consistently backs party leadership on procedural votes
- •Shows support for education-related measures (100% yea rate on recorded education votes)
- •Generally supportive of defense-related legislation (67% yea rate)
- •Aligned with Democratic positions on budget matters (62% yea rate)
By Policy Area
Healthcare93
46% yea54% nay
Agriculture16
50% yea50% nay
Budget & Spending13
62% yea38% nay
Other8
63% yea37% nay
Banking & Finance6
33% yea67% nay
Defense6
67% yea33% 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: $12.1M
Fundraising Over Time
Raised per election cycleSpent
Contribution Sources
Individual$338K
35%
PAC / Committees$617K
65%
Individual Breakdown
Itemized (>$200)
$241K
Small Dollar (<$200)
$98K
Donation Sizes
Under $200
$160K · 47%
$200 – 499
$50K · 15%
$500 – 999
$58K · 17%
$1,000 – 1,999
$29K · 9%
$2,000+
$40K · 12%
Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.
Where the Money Comes From
In-state (NY)$189K · 79%
Out-of-state$50K · 21%
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.
NY
$189K
DC
$13K
TX
$11K
CA
$7K
SD
$7K
MD
$4K
VA
$3K
KY
$1K
Top Contributors
Top Contributing Industries
Top Donor Employers
NOT EMPLOYED$124K
ARNOLD VENTURES$11K
SELF-EMPLOYED$9K
POET PAC$7K
GUIDE CONSULTING SERVICES$5K
PLUG POWER, INC.$3K
OPEN SPACE INSTITUTE$3K
GOLUB CORPORATION$2K
HIPPO'S HOME ENTERTAINMENT$2K
NY STATE BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION$2K
NYS PUBLIC EMPLOYEES FEDERATION$2K
ALBANY COUNTY$2K
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
$385K
Fundraising
$328K
Contributions
$215K
Administrative
$183K
Materials
$16K
Advertising
$12K
Travel
$9K
Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.
Top Payees
1.$300K
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
2.$108K
ECKERT & ASSOCIATES
3.$95K
DITTO CONSULTING, INC.
4.$88K
REIDY, DUSTIN M.
5.$86K
SUSANNE HERL
6.$73K
ROSE PRESS INC.
7.$49K
NEW BLUE INTERACTIVE LLC
8.$37K
NYRA GROUP SALES
Detailed Breakdown
Expenditures
Operating Costs
$827K
Net Operating
$827K
Refunds
Individual Refunds
$86
Outside Spending (Super PACs)
Supporting
$2K
Opposing
$0
Total Outside Spending
$2K
Top Outside Spenders
01
$750TOGETHER WE THRIVE
+$750
02
$722.32ENVIRONMENT AMERICA ACTION FUND
+$722.32
03
$419.94ENVIRONMENT AMERICA INC
+$419.94
04
$360SIERRA CLUB POLITICAL COMMITTEE
+$360
05
$123.73PLANNED PARENTHOOD VOTES
+$123.73
06
$30SIERRA CLUB INDEPENDENT ACTION
+$30
Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.
Coverage: 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2026FEC: H8NY21203Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)
Voting Record
Congressional Votes
144 votes across 12 categories