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Karen McCarthy's Ratings and Endorsements

Vote Smart displays all known interest group ratings for each candidate and official, regardless of issue or bias.

Keep in mind that ratings done by special interest groups often do not represent a non-partisan stance. In addition, some groups select votes that tend to favor members of one political party over another, rather than choosing votes based solely on issue concerns. Nevertheless, they can be invaluable in showing where an incumbent has stood on a series of votes in the past one or two years, especially when ratings by groups on all sides of an issue are compared. Website links, if available, and descriptions of the organizations offering performance evaluations are accessible by clicking on the name of the group.

With rare exceptions, Vote Smart displays interest group ratings as a 0-100 percentage. While many interest groups use percentages as ratings to begin with, please note that Vote Smart has translated some ratings to a percentage from a different rating system for consistency and ease in understanding. Please visit the group's website, email us at ratings@votesmart.org or call our Voter Information Hotline at 1-888-VOTESMART for more specific information.

3%
2001-2002
15%
1999-2000
100%
2001
100%
2000
100%
1999
100%
1997
100%
1996
100%
1999
100%
1995-2003
100%
1995-1998
97%
1993-1996
100%
2001
21%
2001-2002
21%
2001-2002
91%
1999-2000
91%
1999-2000
67%
1998
71%
1997
80%
1996
90%
1995
Fence Sitter
2002
Fence Sitter
2002
86%
2001-2002
80%
2001-2002
86%
2001-2002
86%
2001-2002
66%
2000
86%
2001-2002
86%
2001-2002
86%
2001-2002
86%
2001-2002
86%
2001-2002
86%
2001-2002
88%
1999-2000
88%
1999-2000
66%
1999
100%
1997
75%
1995-1996
75%
1995-1996
75%
1995
100%
2003
100%
2003
100%
2003
86%
2003
86%
2003
87%
2003
87%
2003
25%
2003
25%
2003
13%
2003
13%
2003
83%
2003
83%
2003
13%
2003
13%
2003
75%
2003
75%
2003
77%
2002
77%
2002
23%
2002
23%
2002
77%
2002
77%
2002
19%
2002
19%
2002
24%
2002
24%
2002
76%
2002
76%
2002
23%
2002
23%
2002
74%
2002
74%
2002
11%
2001
11%
2001
74%
2001
74%
2001
83%
2001
83%
2001
27%
2001
27%
2001
12%
2001
12%
2001
86%
2001
86%
2001
85%
2000
85%
2000
8%
2000
86%
2000
86%
2000
10%
2000
10%
2000
12%
2000
12%
2000
92%
2000
92%
2000
92%
1999
92%
1999
68%
1999
68%
1999
8%
1999
13%
1999
13%
1999
32%
1999
32%
1999
83%
1999
83%
1999
32%
1998
32%
1998
77%
1998
77%
1998
22%
1998
22%
1998
82%
1998
82%
1998
68%
1998
68%
1998
16%
1998
16%
1998
79%
1996
79%
1996
11%
1996
11%
1996
85%
1996
85%
1996
15%
1996
15%
1996
85%
1996
85%
1996
18%
1996
18%
1996
42%
2001-2002
10%
2001-2002
12%
2001-2002
23%
2003
0%
2001-2002
86%
2001-2002
86%
2001-2002
87%
1999-2000
87%
1999-2000
53%
1997-1998
53%
1997-1998
36%
1997
36%
1997
69%
1995-1996
69%
1995-1996
0%
1997-1998
100%
2001
100%
1999-2000
100%
1999-2000
91%
1999
88%
1997-1998
88%
1997-1998
89%
1995-1996
89%
1995-1996
5%
1997
17%
1996
57%
1999-2000
80%
2002
80%
2002
38%
2001
38%
2001
40%
2000
40%
2000
63%
1999
63%
1999
75%
1998
75%
1998
67%
1997
67%
1997
60%
1996
60%
1996
83%
1995
83%
1995
89%
2001-2002
67%
2001-2002
67%
2001-2002
86%
2001-2002
86%
2001-2002
87%
1999-2000
87%
1999-2000
53%
1997-1998
53%
1997-1998
36%
1997
36%
1997
69%
1995-1996
69%
1995-1996
100%
1999-2000
100%
1999-2000
80%
2001-2002
83%
2002
3%
2001-2002
15%
1999-2000
8%
2001-2002
12%
1999-2000
11%
1997-1998
22%
1995-1996
19%
2002
13%
2001
20%
1999
20%
1998
44%
1997
38%
1995
0%
1999-2000
0%
1999-2000
78%
1999-2000
78%
1999-2000
22%
1997-1998
22%
1997-1998
10%
1995
60%
1995
25%
2003-2004
25%
2003-2004
84%
2001-2002
-1
2001-2002
25%
2002
67%
2001-2002
67%
2001-2002
92%
2002-2003
100%
2001-2002
100%
2001-2002
100%
2000
100%
1999
100%
1998
100%
1997
83%
1996
50%
2003
80%
1997-1998
80%
1997-1998
100%
1995-1996
100%
1995-1996
100%
2001-2002
91%
1999-2000
91%
1999-2000
67%
1998
71%
1997
80%
1996
90%
1995
100%
2001
100%
1999-2000
100%
1999-2000
91%
1999
88%
1997-1998
88%
1997-1998
89%
1995-1996
89%
1995-1996
25%
2003-2004
25%
2003-2004
25%
2002
5%
1997
17%
1996
57%
1999-2000
80%
2002
80%
2002
38%
2001
38%
2001
40%
2000
40%
2000
63%
1999
63%
1999
75%
1998
75%
1998
67%
1997
67%
1997
60%
1996
60%
1996
83%
1995
83%
1995
95%
2001-2002
83%
1999-2000
81%
1999
86%
1998
81%
1997
92%
1995-1996
-1
2001-2002
100%
2001-2002
100%
2001-2002
100%
2000
100%
1999
100%
1998
100%
1997
83%
1996
50%
2003
0%
2002
8%
1999-2000
13%
1997-1998
0%
1997
20%
1995-1996
14%
2001-2002
23%
2000
25%
1997-1998
0%
1995-1996
0%
1995-1996
0%
1995-1996
100%
2001
100%
1999-2000
100%
1999-2000
91%
1999
88%
1997-1998
88%
1997-1998
89%
1995-1996
89%
1995-1996
100%
2001
6%
2003
3%
2001-2002
3%
2001-2002
15%
1999-2000
15%
1999-2000
18%
2003
0%
2002
0%
2002
8%
1999-2000
8%
1999-2000
13%
1997-1998
13%
1997-1998
0%
1997
0%
1997
20%
1995-1996
20%
1995-1996
50
2003
50
2003
50
2003
50
2003
50
2003
34
2002
34
2002
34
2002
34
2002
34
2002
34
2002
20%
2001
20%
2001
20%
2000
20%
2000
38%
2004
0%
2003
0%
2003
26%
2002
26%
2002
15%
2001
15%
2001
17%
2000
17%
2000
17%
1999
17%
1999
10%
1998
10%
1998
20%
1997
20%
1997
25%
1995-1996
25%
1995-1996
25%
1995-1996
25%
1995-1996
0%
1995-1996
0%
1995-1996
0%
2002
10%
2001
10%
2000
20%
1999
5%
1998
50%
2002
86%
2001-2002
86%
2001-2002
87%
1999-2000
87%
1999-2000
53%
1997-1998
53%
1997-1998
36%
1997
36%
1997
69%
1995-1996
69%
1995-1996
83%
2002
100%
2001-2002
100%
2001-2002
100%
2000
100%
1999
100%
1998
100%
1997
83%
1996
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