U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger is once again being recognized as the most bipartisan Member of Congress from Virginia — and the third-highest ranking elected lawmaker in the country — in the latest Common Ground Scorecard.
Spanberger is the highest-ranking elected official from Virginia — including among Virginians in the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and Governor’s Mansion. Spanberger received a score of “100” based on her strong record of working across the aisle in the U.S. House, her leadership in the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, and her commitment to conversations with Virginians across the political spectrum.
“Americans are divided over the direction of the country and how to solve many issues we currently face. To make progress, leaders must be committed to working across the aisle and finding solutions that address all our citizens’ concerns,” said Erik Olsen, Co-Founder, Common Ground Committee. “But while they are divided on issues, Americans agree that they want to see their representatives work together and solve problems. We hope that more lawmakers follow Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s lead and make a commitment to finding common ground.”
“Virginians expect me to find common ground on a wide range of issues — because that’s how long-lasting progress is achieved and effective policies are delivered. With the release of the 2022 Scorecard, I’m proud to be recognized for my efforts to build consensus and actually get things done for the people I serve,” said Spanberger. “I want to thank the Common Ground Committee for expecting more from America’s elected officials and for encouraging good-faith cooperation between both parties in Congress. As I’ve said before, we achieve progress by governing — not grandstanding.”
The Common Ground Scorecard was first released in 2020 and is updated quarterly by the Common Ground Committee (CGC) — a nonpartisan, citizen-led organization devoted to improving public discourse in politics. In addition to their commitments and personal actions, CGC also incorporates an elected official’s score in the Lugar Center/McCourt School Bipartisan Index and other public sources of data.
According to the Common Ground Committee, the Common Ground Scorecard measures the degree to which U.S. elected officials embody the spirit and practice of a Common Grounder — someone who seeks points of agreement and solutions on policy issues through listening and productive conversation. The scorecard does not assess issue positions or ideology. Click here to see their ranking of top elected officials, and click here to learn more about the scoring methodology.
BACKGROUND
The Common Ground Scorecard takes into account an elected official’s score in the Lugar Center/McCourt School Bipartisan Index. Earlier this year, Spanberger was ranked by the Lugar Center and the McCourt School as one of the top-five most bipartisan Members of the U.S. House and the most bipartisan Member of Congress from Virginia.
Since its founding in 2009, CGC has held 14 forums featuring panelists who have reached over 200 points of consensus. Panelists have included David Petraeus, Susan Rice, John Kerry, Condoleezza Rice, Michael Steele, Donna Brazile, and Larry Kudlow — exploring issues ranging from race and income inequality to foreign policy. CGC is responsible for the “Let’s Find Common Ground” podcast series and the Common Ground Scorecard, which scores politicians and candidates for public office on their likelihood to find common ground with the opposite party. Free of political agenda and financial influence, CGC describes itself as having a “singular focus on bringing light, not heat, to public discourse.”
Original source can be found here.
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