Thomas Stewart Udall

Thomas Stewart Udall usually called Tom Udall (born May 18, 1948) is a politician who represented New Mexico's third Congressional district (map) as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009. He is a member of the Udall political family, which includes his father, Stewart Udall, grandfather Levi Stewart Udall, uncle Morris Udall, and cousin Mark Udall. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Udall was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998 on his third attempt to win a seat in Congress. He was reelected four times with no significant opposition, including an unopposed run in 2002. He held that office until January 3, 2009, when he took office as U.S. Senator, having won that election with 61 percent of the vote.

Tom Udall 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 Justice Oliver Seth of the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Udall's legal career then included appointments as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the criminal division and Chief Counsel to the Department of Health and Environment. A partnership followed in the Miller Law Firm.

From 1991 to 1999 he served New Mexico as Attorney General. He is the son of Stewart Udall, who was Secretary of the Interior from 1961 to 1969, nephew of former Congressman Morris Udall, and cousin of Colorado Congressman Mark Udall and Oregon Senator Gordon Smith.

As a Congressman, he served on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, the House Native American Caucus as co-vice chair, and the International Conservation Caucus as co-chair.

As a Senator, he has served on the Committee on Appropriations with subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration; Energy and Water Development; chairman of the Financial Services; Interior, Environment; and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs. He also served on the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Environment and Public Works, the Committee on Indian Affairs, the Committee on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Committee on Rules and Administration, and the International Narcotics Control Caucus.

Udall and his wife, Jill, are the parents of one daughter, Amanda.

External links

• Official Senate website
• Rep. Tom Udall on resource depletion and climate change