The 118th Congress is on course to be one of the least productive in American history. When the Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives in 2022, legislation ground to a halt. Each year the non-profit Lugar Center and McCourt School of Public Policy release the bipartisan index which tracks how effective each member is at working with the other side.

For some elected officials bipartisanship is not something to aspire to but to oppose. This article looks at the House Democrats least inclined to reach across the aisle. 

Why This Matters

In November, American voters will determine not just the presidency, but who controls Congress. One party could secure the government trifecta but it is more likely that one party will control the House, the other the Senate. If any meaningful legislation is to be passed by the 119th Congress, cooperation and bipartisanship will be needed so it is important to know who the potential deal makers and deal breakers are.

10 – Adam Smith 

Washington 9th Congressional District 

Assumed office: 1997

Bipartisan ranking: 414

Adam Smith has represented Washington’s 9th district since 1997. Smith is a member of the moderate New Democrat Coalition and the more left-leaning Progressive Caucus. He is also the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee. Smith will face another Democrat in November after August’s primary and is widely expected to win that race comfortably.

9 – Nancy Pelosi

California 11th Congressional District

Assumed office: 1987

Bipartisan ranking: 415

A former Speaker of the House from 2007-11 and 2019-23, Nancy Pelosi remains one of the most influential politicians in the country. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1987. As Speaker, she was known for her skill in getting legislation through Congress and was instrumental in passing the Affordable Care Act, the Obama administration’s landmark healthcare bill. She was one of the main power brokers behind Joe Biden’s decision to step aside in 2024. Although reviled by the right and not terribly popular with the left, Pelosi has won all of her House races by huge margins.

At 84, she will have at least one more term in the House after November.

8 – Jim Clyburn

South Carolina 6th Congressional District 

Assumed office:1993

Bipartisan ranking: 419

Jim Clyburn has represented South Carolina’s 6th district since 1993. Clyburn has been one of the most influential Democrats in the country for 30 years and has occupied various leadership roles before stepping in February 2024. He was instrumental in both Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s primary victories in 2008 and 2021. Though he ranks low on the most recent bipartisan index, he is known for his skill in backroom negotiations. He was accused of quietly securing his seat at the expense of creating another competitive district in South Carolina during redistricting. 

Now 84 years old, he will seek another term in the House in November. 

7 – Ayanna Pressley

Massachusetts 7th Congressional District

Assumed office: 2019

Bipartisan ranking: 420

Ayanna Pressley won an upset victory over incumbent Mike Capuano in the 2018 primary for the 7th district and ran unopposed in the general election. She represents one of the safest Democratic seats in the country, the Republicans haven’t bothered to run an opponent since the 1990s. Pressley is part of “The Squad” the name given to a small group of young left-wing Democrats who first won office in 2018. They represent the left flank of the Democratic party and are sometimes at odds with its more moderate members. 

Pressley will have no serious opposition in November’s election. 

6 – Delia Ramirez

Illinois 3rd Congressional District

Assumed office: 2023

Bipartisan ranking: 426

Delia Ramirez won the primary to fill the open seat created by redistricting in 2022 and comfortably won the general election in the heavily Democratic district. Ramirez joined the Progressive Caucus and serves as one of three special order hour convenors. She had previously co-founded the Illinois House Progressive Caucus. 

She is associated with “the squad” and has made some noteworthy stances in her brief congressional career. Ramirez was one of only nine votes against a resolution backing Israel on July 2023 which she explained in a later press release:

I believe we need to continue to work towards a world where the full humanity and rights of all Israeli (sic) and Palestinians are honored. This resolution does not do that, and therefore, I could not support it.

She voted against another resolution supporting Israel after the Hamas attacks. Ramirez was unopposed in June’s primary and should have little trouble winning the general election in November. 

5 – Ilhan Omar

Minnesota 5th Congressional District 

Assumed office: 2018

Bipartisan ranking: 427

The Deputy Chair of the Progressive Caucus and one of the original members of the so-called squad, Ilhan Omar is a prominent member of the House. Her outspoken criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and lobbying efforts by pro-Israel groups has drawn the ire of Republicans and members of her own party alike. She was removed from the Foreign Affairs Committee by House Republicans in 2023, a move that some GOP members opposed.  

In a heavily Democratic district, the only threat to Omar’s seat comes from a primary challenge. She survived a scare in 2022 when she narrowly defeated Don Samuels in the primary. In August 2024, she saw off another challenge by Samuels but with an increased majority.

4 – Greg Casar

Texas 35th Congressional District 

Assumed office: 2023

Bipartisan ranking: 429

Greg Casar won the race for the 35th district after it was redrawn in 2022. Casar is the Whip for the Progressive Caucus. He made headlines with a nine-hour thirst strike in 2023. The protest was over a Texas law removing local protections for outdoor workers. Casar’s nuanced take on the Israel-Palestine situation lost him the endorsement of the Austin Democratic Socialists of America but he faces little difficulty in retaining his seat in 2024. 

3 – Jamaal Bowman

New York 16th Congressional District

Assumed office: 2021

Bipartisan ranking: 433

A former principal, Bowman upset long-time Congressman Elliot Engel in the 2020 primary for New York’s 16th district. He is a vice-chair of the Progressive Caucus and saw off a strong primary challenge in 2022. Unfortunately for Bowman, he burned through a lot of goodwill in his third term with a series of controversies. 

Bowman was charged with pulling a fire alarm in one of the Capitol buildings when the chamber was in session in October 2023. He was later fined and censured for the act. The Congressman drew further controversy when old blog posts promoting conspiracy theories were unearthed and downplayed sexual assaults that took place in the wake of the October 7th attacks. He apologized for the remarks. 

His antics drew a very well-funded primary challenge from a moderate Democrat, George Latimer. The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) spent $14.5 million to defeat Bowman in the June primary. 

2 – Cori Bush

Missouri 1st Congressional District

Assumed office: 2021

Bipartisan ranking: 434

Cori Bush won a surprise victory in the 2020 primary against Lacy Clay, a long-serving incumbent, for Missouri’s 1st district. Bush joined the Progressive Caucus and aligned with “the squad” soon after her victory in the general election. She came to national prominence with a high-profile protest where she slept on the steps of the US Capitol for days to extend the CARES Act. The Democratic leadership praised her vigil. 

However, campaign finance scandals, bizarre claims of faith healing, and outspoken criticism of Israel proved to be her undoing. AIPAC spent almost $9 million to back her primary opponent in 2024. Wesley Bell defeated Cori Bush in the August primary. 

1 – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

New York 14th Congressional District 

Assumed office: 2018

Bipartisan ranking: 435

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became an overnight sensation when she shocked senior Democrat Joe Crowley in the 2018 primary for New York’s 14th district. The 28-year-old utilized grassroots support to overcome Crowley’s financial and incumbency advantage. Often known by her initials, AOC, she easily won re-election in 2020 and 2022. 

She is probably best known for the Green New Deal, an ambitious plan to address climate change and economic inequality. The bill has no Republican supporters and plenty of Democratic critics. It has very little chance of seeing the light of day.

Her prominence as a left-wing politician makes a her frequent target for attacks from the right, Paul Gosar was censured for a social post about her. Her stances on votes occasionally draw the ire of her own party. She voted against Joe Biden’s landmark infrastructure bill for not going far enough. 

She is the second-least bipartisan member of the House, behind only Jim Jordan in the overall rankings. With a heavily Democratic district, the only real threat to her seat is a primary challenge. That could be a well-funded moderate or, perhaps, the next generation’s AOC.

Conclusion

The Democrats in this article are a curious mix of the old guard and the new progressive wing of the party. Two of the so-called squad will not return to the House in 2025 after losing out in bitter and expensive primary battles. Nancy Pelosi and Jim Clyburn have safe seats but are both 84 and probably won’t have much time left in office. It’s possible that by 2027 most of the members featured here will have either retired, been voted out, or sought higher office. Like the least bipartisan Republicans, the Democrats least likely to reach across the aisle represent districts with no serious opposition. Their only real threat is from a primary which is how the majority got in power in the first place and how two will leave. 

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