Tom Udall

Infobox_Congressman
name = Tom Udall


state2 = New Mexico
district2 = 3rd
term_start2 = January 6, 1999
preceded2 = Bill Redmond
succeeded2 = Incumbent
title3=28th New Mexico Attorney General
term_start3=1991
term_end3=1999
predecessor3=Harold Stratton
successor3=Patricia Madrid
party = Democratic
date of birth = birth date and age|1948|05|18
place of birth = Tucson, Arizona
death_date =
death_place =
alma_mater = Prescott College, Cambridge University, University of New Mexico School of Law
profession = attorney
spouse = Jill Cooper
residence = Santa Fe, New Mexico
religion = Mormon

Thomas Stewart Udall (born May 18, 1948) is an American politician who has represented ushr|New Mexico|3| as a member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999. Currently Udall is running for the open United States Senate seat for New Mexico.

Education and family

Tom Udall's family can be traced to territorial New Mexico, and he was born in Tucson, Arizona. He attended Prescott College, graduating with a pre-law degree in 1970. In 1975, he graduated from Cambridge University 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. After graduating, Udall was Law Clerk to Chief Judge Oliver Seth of the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Tom's legal career then included appointments as Assistant US Attorney in the criminal division and Chief Counsel to the Department of Health and Environment. A partnership followed in the Miller Law Firm.

He is the son of Stewart Udall, who was Secretary of the Interior from 1961 to 1969, nephew of Arizona Congressman Morris Udall, and cousin of Colorado Congressman Mark Udall and Oregon Senator Gordon Smith. [ [http://politicalgraveyard.com/families/2111.html Udall family of Arizona] at the Political Graveyard] He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Political career

In 1982, Udall ran for Congress in the newly-created 3rd District, but lost the Democratic primary to Bill Richardson. He ran for Congress again in the 1st District for the seat left open by retiring 20-year incumbent Manuel Lujan, but narrowly lost to Bernalillo County District Attorney Steven Schiff.

From 1991 to 1999 he served as Attorney General of New Mexico. [cite news |first= |last= |title=Ten things to know about Senate hopeful Rep. Tom Udall |url=http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/nov/29/ten-things-know-about-senate-hopeful-rep-tom-udall/ |work=Albuquerque Tribune |date=November 29, 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-11 ]

U.S. House of Representatives

Udall ran for Congress again in 1998 in the 3rd District against 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 was enough for Udall to defeat Redmond with 53 percent of the vote to Redmond's 43%. [cite news |first= |last=|title=Udall wins Redmond's New Mexico House seat |url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/1998/states/NM/H/03/ |work=Associated Press |date=04 November 1998 |accessdate=2007-11-11 ] Udall has never faced another contest nearly that close, and has been reelected four times, including a completely unopposed run in 2002. He won a fifth term in the 2006 midterm elections he was reelected with 75% of the vote, defeating Republican Ron Dolin.

Tom Udall belongs to both the centrist New Democrat Coalition and the somewhat more leftist Congressional Progressive Caucus. He is also a member of the United States House Peak Oil Caucus. [ [http://www.globalpublicmedia.com/interviews/613 Rep. Tom Udall on resource depletion and climate change] "Global Public Media", December 9, 2005]

;Committee assignments
*Appropriations Committee
**Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
**Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
**Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
*Co-Vice Chair of the House Native American Caucus

2008 U.S. Senate campaign

In November 2007 he announced he would give up his congressional seat to run in the 2008 Senate election in New Mexico to replace Pete Domenici, who is retiring. [cite news |first=Deborah |last=Baker |title=New Mexico Rep. Tom Udall to seek Democratic nomination for Senate|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20071110-1445-newmexico-senate.html|work=Associated Press (SignOnSanDiego.com)|date=November 10, 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-11 ] The only other Democrat in the race, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez, dropped out in December, essentially handing the nomination to Udall. New Mexico's other two members of the House, 1st District Congresswoman Heather Wilson and 2nd District Congressman Steve Pearce, also gave up their seats to run in the Republican primary. Pearce won the Republican nomination, and will face Udall in November. Democrat Ben R. Luján, Republican Dan East and Independents Carol Miller and Ron Simmons are running for Tom Udall's vacated seat.

At the same time, his first cousin, congressman Mark Udall, is running for the Colorado Senate seat left open by the retirement of Wayne Allard. Including their double second cousin, sitting Republican Senator Gordon Smith, there are three Udalls running in Senate elections in 2008 and, should they all win, three members of this political family will serve in the Senate at the same time.

ee also

*Udall family (political family)

References

External links

* [http://www.tomudall.house.gov/ U.S. Congressman Tom Udall] , Official House site
* [http://www.udallforusall.com/ Udall For Us All] , Official Senate Campaign site
* [http://votimus.com/user/Candidate_nonmember.aspx?UID=351&UT=3 Profile and issue positions] at Votimus.com
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Udall Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia
* [http://usliberals.about.com/od/senatecandidatesin2008/p/TomUdall.htm/ Profile] at About.com