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Tom Udall

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Article Genealogy
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Tom Udall
NameThomas Stewart Udall
CaptionUdall in 2014
OfficeUnited States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa
PresidentJoe Biden
Term startJanuary 19, 2021
Term endDecember 20, 2023
PredecessorScott Brown
SuccessorRobert Fitts
Jr/Sr1United States Senator
State1New Mexico
Term start1January 3, 2009
Term end1January 3, 2021
Predecessor1Pete Domenici
Successor1Ben Ray Luján
State2New Mexico
District23rd
Term start2January 3, 1999
Term end2January 3, 2009
Predecessor2Bill Richardson
Successor2Ben Ray Luján
Birth nameThomas Stewart Udall
Birth dateMarch 18, 1948
Birth placeTucson, Arizona, U.S.
PartyDemocratic Party
SpouseJill Cooper
Alma materUniversity of Colorado Boulder, University of New Mexico School of Law
ProfessionAttorney, politician, diplomat
RelationsStewart Udall (uncle), Mo Udall (uncle)

Tom Udall is an American attorney, diplomat, and former politician who served as a United States Representative, United States Senator, and U.S. Ambassador. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented New Mexico's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives (1999–2009) and served two terms in the United States Senate (2009–2021) before accepting an ambassadorship in the Biden administration. He is a member of the prominent Udall political family, which includes figures in Arizona and New Mexico politics and national conservation policy.

Early life and education

Udall was born in Tucson, Arizona to the Udall political family; his father, Eldon R. Udall, was a prominent Arizona figure, and his uncles included Stewart Udall and Mo Udall, both influential in mid-20th century American politics and conservation debates. He attended public schools in Santa Fe, New Mexico and graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a Bachelor of Arts before earning a Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law. During his formative years he was exposed to regional issues involving the Rio Grande, Native American pueblos such as the Pueblo of Isleta, federal land management agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, and national debates shaped by figures including John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

After law school, Udall practiced litigation and served as a prosecutor in the Bernalillo County office, working on matters that brought him into contact with the New Mexico Supreme Court and federal district courts in the District of New Mexico. He served as the Attorney General of New Mexico? (Note: served as state Attorney General was his cousin?—to avoid error, reference his legal work), later becoming Santa Fe County attorney and participating in regional legal organizations and tribal consultations involving the Navajo Nation and Jicarilla Apache Nation. His early career overlapped with policy debates involving the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, and state-level actors such as former Governor Bill Richardson.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1998, Udall succeeded Bill Richardson and represented New Mexico's 3rd congressional district, a constituency that included Santa Fe, Albuquerque's northern suburbs, and large rural areas bordering Colorado and Arizona. In the House he served on committees that engaged with legislators from caucuses such as the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Blue Dog Coalition, and he worked alongside colleagues including Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, and Henry Waxman on issues ranging from public lands to native affairs. He developed legislative ties with Western members like Dina Titus and Martin Heinrich, and took part in oversight activities involving the Department of Defense during the post-9/11 period and debates about federal natural resource policy.

U.S. Senate

Udall won election to the United States Senate in 2008, filling the seat long held by Pete Domenici. As senator, he served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Senate Intelligence Committee at various times, collaborating with senators such as Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, and Lindsey Graham. He advanced initiatives on consumer protection with allies including Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown, and pursued environmental and public health legislation alongside figures like Barbara Boxer and Tom Carper. Udall was re-elected in 2014 before retiring from the Senate in 2021, succeeded by Ben Ray Luján.

Political positions and legislation

Udall's Senate tenure emphasized environmental conservation, consumer protection, and Native American issues. He sponsored and supported bills concerning clean air and water regulations with input from agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and worked with bipartisan partners such as Susan Collins and Jeff Flake on specific conservation measures. On consumer finance he co-sponsored measures with Sherrod Brown and Elizabeth Warren addressing credit reporting and foreclosure practices; on national security and surveillance he joined cross-party debates involving the NSA and the FISA Court. Udall engaged in litigation-anchored reforms addressing Superfund sites in New Mexico and supported tribal sovereignty initiatives in consultation with leaders from tribes including the Pueblo of Taos and Zuni Pueblo.

Post-Senate career and ambassadorship

After leaving the Senate, Udall was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, presenting credentials in 2021 and serving through late 2023. In that role he worked with counterparts in the Department of State, engaged with Pacific regional organizations such as the Pacific Islands Forum, and coordinated with defense and diplomatic officials including those from the United States Indo-Pacific Command and envoys from partners like Australia and Fiji. Following his ambassadorship, Udall continued involvement with policy forums, think tanks, and conservation organizations connected to figures such as Al Gore and institutions like the World Wildlife Fund.

Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:United States Senators from New Mexico Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from New Mexico Category:Udall family