Tom Udall

Tom Udall
United States Senator
from New Mexico
Assumed office
January 3, 2009
Serving with Martin Heinrich
Preceded by Pete Domenici
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Mexico's 3rd district
In office
January 3, 1999  January 3, 2009
Preceded by Bill Redmond
Succeeded by Ben Luján
28th Attorney General of New Mexico
In office
January 1, 1991  January 1, 1999
Governor Bruce King
Gary Johnson
Preceded by Hal Stratton
Succeeded by Patricia Madrid
Personal details
Born Thomas Stewart Udall
(1948-05-18) May 18, 1948
Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Jill Cooper
Children Amanda
Alma mater Prescott College
Downing College, Cambridge
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Religion Latter-day Saint
Website Senate website

Thomas Stewart "Tom" Udall (born May 18, 1948) is the senior United States Senator from New Mexico and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 2008, he represented New Mexico's 3rd congressional district as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, and was the Attorney General of New Mexico from 1991 to 1999. A member of the Udall family, he is the son of Stewart Udall, the nephew of Mo Udall, and the cousin of Mark Udall.

Early life, education, and law career

Udall was born in Tucson, Arizona, to Ermalee Lenora (née Webb) and Stewart Udall, the Secretary of the Interior from 1961 to 1969. Two of his maternal great-grandparents were Swiss.[1] He attended Prescott College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970. In 1975, he graduated from Downing College, Cambridge in England with a Bachelor of Law degree. That fall, he enrolled in the University of New Mexico School of Law and graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1977. Udall then served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Oliver Seth of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. His subsequent legal career included appointments as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the criminal division and Chief Counsel to the New Mexico Department of Health and Environment.

Early political career

In 1982, Udall ran for Congress in the newly created 3rd district, based in the state capital, Santa Fe, and most of north of the state. He lost the Democratic primary to Bill Richardson. In 1988, he ran for Congress again, this time in an election for the Albuquerque-based 1st district seat left open by retiring twenty-year incumbent Manuel Lujan, but narrowly lost to Bernalillo County District Attorney Steven Schiff. From 1990 to 1999 he served as Attorney General of New Mexico.[2]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

Udall ran for Congress again in 1998 in the 3rd district against incumbent Bill Redmond, who had been elected in a 1997 special election to replace Richardson. Redmond was a conservative Republican representing a heavily Democratic district, and the 3rd's partisan tilt helped Udall defeat Redmond with 53 percent of the vote.[3] He was reelected four more times with no substantive opposition, including an unopposed run in 2002.

Tenure

As a U.S. Representative, Tom Udall was a member of both the centrist New Democrat Coalition and the more liberal Congressional Progressive Caucus. He was a member of the United States House Peak oil Caucus, which he co-founded with Representative Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland.[4][5]

Committee assignments

Udall sat on the United States House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations in the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies and the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch He was the Co-Vice Chair of the House Native American Caucus and Co-Chair of the International Conservation Caucus.

U.S. Senate

Elections

In November 2007, Udall announced he would run for the Senate seat held by retiring six-term incumbent Republican Pete Domenici.[6] Potential Democratic rival Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez dropped out, handing Udall the nomination. New Mexico's other two members of the House, 1st and 3rd district's Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce, ran in the Republican primary. Pearce won the Republican nomination, and lost to Udall, who won 61 percent of the vote.

While Udall ran for Senate in New Mexico, his younger first cousin, Congressman Mark Udall, ran for the Senate in Colorado. Their double second cousin, incumbent Gordon Smith of Oregon, also ran for reelection. Both Udalls won and Smith lost.

Tenure

Udall has voted with his party 97 percent of the time since he was first elected to the U.S. Senate. He voted in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, DREAM Act,[7] American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.[8]

Udall was one of the first members of Congress to publicly express concern about the possibility of NSA overreach, a year before Edward Snowden's 2013 disclosure of the PRISM program.[9]

Legislation

Tom Udall during his visit to the Navajo Nation Council Chambers in Window Rock, Arizona.

On March 19, 2013, Udall introduced into the Senate the Sandia Pueblo Settlement Technical Amendment Act (S. 611; 113th Congress), a bill that would transfer some land to the Sandia Pueblo tribe.[10][11] Also during the 113th Congress, Udall introduced a proposed amendment to the Constitution that would allow limits on outside spending in support of political candidates.[12][13] The Amendment won the approval of the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 10-8 vote in July 2014.[13]

In March 2015 Udall sponsored Senate bill 697, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, a bill to amend and reauthorize the Toxic Substances Control Act.[14] The legislation, as amended, was signed into law by President Barack Obama on June 22, 2016.[15] It updates the nation's safety system for thousands of chemicals in products like cleaners, paints, carpets and furniture.[16][17] The bill initially faced criticism over the balance between federal and state authority to regulate chemicals, but after changes to the legislation it earned broader support, including from liberal members of the Senate and the President.[18][19] It passed by a vote of 403-12 in the House and voice vote in the Senate.[20]

Committee assignments

[21]

Caucus memberships

Electoral history

1990

New Mexico Attorney General Democratic primary election, 1990
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tom Udall 59,676 35.95
Democratic Patricia Madrid 50,875 30.65
Democratic Dick Minzner 28,860 17.39
Democratic Patrick Apodoco 26,576 16.01
Total votes 165,987 100.00
New Mexico Attorney General election, 1990
Party Candidate Votes % +%
Democratic Tom Udall 265,582 67.59
Republican William Davis 127,364 32.41
Majority 138,218 35.18
Turnout 392,946
Democratic gain from Republican
New Mexico Attorney General election, 1994
Party Candidate Votes % +%
Democratic Tom Udall (Incumbent) 277,225 60.92 -6.67
Republican Donald Bruckner, Jr. 177,822 39.08 +6.67
Majority 99,403 21.84
Turnout 455,047
Democratic hold
New Mexico's 3rd congressional district Democratic primary election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tom Udall 32,533 44.03
Democratic Eric Serna 26,340 35.64
Democratic Roman Maes, III 4,382 5.93
Democratic Tony Scarborough 3,681 4.98
Democratic Carol Cloer 2,631 3.56
Democratic Patricia Lundstrom 2,580 3.49
Democratic Francesca Lobato 1,251 1.69
Democratic Eric Treisman 498 0.67
Total votes 73,896 100.00
New Mexico's 3rd congressional district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes % +%
Democratic Tom Udall 91,248 53.16
Republican Bill Redmond (Incumbent) 74,266 43.27
Green Carol Miller 6,103 3.56
Write-in 32 0.01
Majority 16,982 9.89
Turnout 171,649 100.00
Democratic gain from Republican
New Mexico's 3rd congressional district election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes % +%
Democratic Tom Udall (Incumbent) 135,040 67.18 +14.02
Republican Lisa Lutz 65,979 32.82 -10.45
Majority 69,061 34.36 +24.47
Turnout 201,019
Democratic hold
New Mexico's 3rd congressional district election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes % +%
Democratic Tom Udall (Incumbent) 122,921 100.00 +32.82
Majority 122,921 100.00 +65.64
Turnout 122,921
Democratic hold
New Mexico's 3rd congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes % +%
Democratic Tom Udall (Incumbent) 175,269 68.68 -31.32
Republican Gregory Tucker 79,935 31.32 +31.32
Majority 95,334 37.36 -62.64
Turnout 255,204
Democratic hold
New Mexico's 3rd congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % +%
Democratic Tom Udall (incumbent) 144,880 74.64 +5.96
Republican Ronald Dolin 49,219 25.36 -5.96
Majority 95,661 49.28 11.92
Turnout 194,099
Democratic hold

2008

Democratic Party primary results[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tom Udall 141,629 100.00
Total votes 141,629 100.00
General election results[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Tom Udall 505,128 61.33% +26.37%
Republican Steve Pearce 318,522 38.67% -26.37%
Majority 186,606 22.66% -7.43%
Turnout 823,650
Democratic gain from Republican Swing

2014

Democratic primary results[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tom Udall (Incumbent) 113,502 100
Total votes 113,502 100
New Mexico's US Senate Election, 2014[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tom Udall (Incumbent) 286,409 55.56
Republican Allen Weh 229,097 44.44
Total votes 515,506 100
Democratic hold

Personal life

Udall is married to Jill Cooper Udall. They live in Santa Fe with their daughter, Amanda Cooper. Tom Udall is the son of former Arizona Congressman and Interior Secretary Stewart Lee Udall, nephew of Arizona Congressman Morris Udall, and first cousin of former Colorado U.S. Senator Mark Udall, double second cousin of former Oregon U.S. Senator Gordon Smith,[26] and second cousin of Utah U.S. Senator Mike Lee.[27]

See also

References

  1. "thomas udall". Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  2. "Ten things to know about Senate hopeful Rep. Tom Udall". Albuquerque Tribune. November 29, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  3. "Udall wins Redmond's New Mexico House seat". Associated Press. November 4, 1998. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  4. Rep. Tom Udall on resource depletion and climate change (transcript) Global Public Media, December 9, 2005, Post Carbon Institute
  5. https://web.archive.org/web/20120925074749/http://bartlett.house.gov/issues/issue/default.aspx?. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2012. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. Baker, Deborah (November 10, 2007). "New Mexico Rep. Tom Udall to seek Democratic nomination for Senate". Associated Press (SignOnSanDiego.com). Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  7. "Key Votes by Tom Udall – page 2". The Washington Post.
  8. "Key Votes by Tom Udall – page 3". The Washington Post.
  9. Sargent, Greg (June 6, 2013). "We need more transparency and debate around NSA phone records program". Washington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  10. "S. 611 – Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  11. "Chairwoman Cantwell Holds Hearing on Tribal Resources Legislation". Tulalip News. May 10, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  12. "Senate Democrats Begin Efforts to Amend Constitution". Roll Call. June 6, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  13. 1 2 Prokop, Andrew (July 10, 2014). "A Senate committee just approved a constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United". Vox. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  14. "All Bill Information (Except Text) for S.697 – Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act". Congress.gov. March 10, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  15. "President Obama signs the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act". The White House. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  16. "Congress Passes Largest Chemical Safety Legislation In 40 Years". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  17. "Obama signs bipartisan chemical safety bill". USA Today. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  18. "White House Statement of Administration Policy" (PDF). WhiteHouse.gov. May 23, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  19. "Congress is overhauling an outdated law that affects nearly every product you own". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  20. "Congress.gov". Congress.gov. U.S. Congress. June 22, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  21. "About senator, committees". www.tomudall.senate.gov. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  22. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20120314170523/http://www.sos.state.nm.us/08PrimResults/StatewidePrim08.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 14, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2015. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. "2008 Election Statistics". Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  24. "New Mexico - Election Night Results - June 3rd, 2014". Electionresults.sos.state.nm.us. 2014-06-03. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  25. "Official Results General Election - November 4, 2014". New Mexico Secretary of State. November 4, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  26. Udall family of Arizona at the Political Graveyard, Lawrence Kestenbaum, 2013
  27. Lee Davidson (October 24, 2010). "Senate race: Mike Lee ready to ride Senate roller coaster". The Salt Lake Tribune.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tom Udall.
Legal offices
Preceded by
Hal Stratton
Attorney General of New Mexico
1991–1999
Succeeded by
Patricia Madrid
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Bill Redmond
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Mexico's 3rd congressional district

1999–2009
Succeeded by
Ben Luján
Party political offices
Preceded by
Gloria Tristani
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from New Mexico
(Class 2)

2008, 2014
Most recent
United States Senate
Preceded by
Pete Domenici
United States Senator (Class 2) from New Mexico
2009–present
Served alongside: Jeff Bingaman, Martin Heinrich
Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Roger Wicker
United States Senators by seniority
47th
Succeeded by
Jeanne Shaheen
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