Tom Udall Bio
Thomas Stewart Udall is an American diplomat, attorney, and politician who built a long career representing New Mexico at the state and federal levels. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as New Mexico’s attorney general from 1991 to 1999, represented the state’s 3rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, and then served as a United States Senator from New Mexico from 2009 to 2021. In 2021, President Joe Biden nominated him to serve as United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, a role he held from late 2021 until 2025. Throughout his career, Udall focused on environmental protection, public lands, and Native American issues.
Born into one of the most prominent political families in the American West, Udall comes from the Udall family of Arizona, which has produced multiple members of Congress, a governor, and a Secretary of the Interior. He is the son of former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall and the nephew of longtime Arizona Congressman Mo Udall. After leaving the Senate, he transitioned into diplomatic service, continuing his public-service work on the international stage.
Early Life and Background
Thomas Stewart Udall was born on May 18, 1948, in Tucson, Arizona. He is the son of Stewart Udall, who served as United States Secretary of the Interior from 1961 to 1969 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, and Ermalee Lenora Webb Udall. On his mother’s side, he is of partial Swiss ancestry. Growing up in a family deeply involved in public service and conservation shaped Udall’s later focus on environmental policy.
His extended family includes a long line of politicians. His uncle, Morris K. Udall, known as Mo Udall, represented Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives for three decades and ran for president in 1976. His first cousin, Mark Udall, later served as a U.S. Senator from Colorado from 2009 to 2015. His double second cousin, Gordon Smith, represented Oregon in the Senate, and his second cousin, Mike Lee, serves in the Senate from Utah. This family background gave Udall early exposure to political life and public-policy debates.
For his education, Udall attended Prescott College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He went on to study at Downing College at the University of Cambridge in England, receiving a Bachelor of Laws degree. He later earned a Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law, preparing him for a legal career before entering politics.
Path to US Politics
Before running for office, Udall worked as an attorney in New Mexico, building a legal practice that connected him to communities across the state. His first attempt at elected office came in 1982, when he ran for Congress in New Mexico’s newly created 3rd district, based in Santa Fe. He lost the Democratic primary to Bill Richardson, who went on to a long career in national politics. In 1988, Udall ran for the Albuquerque-based 1st district seat but narrowly lost to Bernalillo County District Attorney Steven Schiff.
These early defeats did not end his political ambitions. In 1990, Udall won election as New Mexico’s attorney general, a position he held from 1991 to 1999. As the state’s chief legal officer, he handled consumer protection, environmental enforcement, and criminal justice issues, earning a reputation as a diligent statewide leader.
Tom Udall Career
Early Career (1991–1998)
As attorney general, Udall served two terms and built a statewide profile that positioned him for a run at federal office. He focused on consumer rights, public-land protection, and criminal-justice reform, issues that would remain priorities throughout his career. By the late 1990s, he was ready to return to his earlier goal of serving in Congress.
In 1998, Udall ran for the U.S. House in New Mexico’s 3rd district against incumbent Bill Redmond, a conservative Republican who had won a 1997 special election. The 3rd district leaned heavily Democratic, and Udall defeated Redmond 53 percent to 43 percent, winning his first seat in Congress.
House of Representatives Breakthrough (1999–2008)
Udall served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New Mexico’s 3rd congressional district. He joined both the centrist New Democrat Coalition and the more liberal Congressional Progressive Caucus, giving him a wide range of influence within the Democratic caucus. He also co-founded the United States House Peak Oil Caucus with Representative Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland, showing early interest in energy and resource issues.
During his time in the House, Udall was an early voice raising concerns about possible NSA overreach, a year before Edward Snowden’s 2013 disclosures about the PRISM program. He voted in favor of major legislation including the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the DREAM Act, and the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. He was reelected four more times with little substantive opposition, including an unopposed run in 2002.
On gun policy, Udall supported expanded background checks and state-by-state reciprocity for concealed-carry permits. After the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, he participated in a sit-in at the House to demand votes on gun-control legislation. By 2017, he held a C-minus grade from the National Rifle Association and an F from the Gun Owners of America because of his support for gun-control measures.
U.S. Senate Era (2009–2021)
In November 2007, Udall announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat held by retiring six-term Republican incumbent Pete Domenici. With potential rival Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez dropping out, Udall secured the Democratic nomination and faced Republican Steve Pearce, winning the seat with 186,606 votes. He was sworn in as a United States Senator in 2009.
As a senator, Udall served on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, among others. In 2014, he won reelection, defeating Republican Allen Weh by 57,312 votes. He eventually became dean of New Mexico’s congressional delegation. On March 25, 2019, Udall announced that he would not seek reelection in 2020, making him the only Democratic senator to retire that cycle.
Udall introduced several notable pieces of legislation. In 2013, he introduced the Sandia Pueblo Settlement Technical Amendment Act to transfer land to the Sandia Pueblo tribe. He also proposed a constitutional amendment to reverse the Citizens United decision and allow limits on outside spending in political campaigns, which the Senate Judiciary Committee approved 10–8 in July 2014. He sponsored the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama on June 22, 2016, which updated the safety system for thousands of chemicals in everyday products. In 2019, he co-sponsored the bipartisan AFGHAN Service Act with Senator Rand Paul to compensate servicemembers and repeal the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Udall’s signature achievements was his work on environmental protection, earning a lifetime score of 96 percent from the League of Conservation Voters. In 2018, he received the Sierra Club’s top public-official award, the Edgar Wayburn Award. In 2019, he co-sponsored the Green New Deal, a Senate proposal aimed at net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and joined a bipartisan letter seeking full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Act.
Tom Udall Career Wins
Tom Udall’s electoral career spans more than two decades of public service, including two terms as New Mexico’s attorney general, five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, and two terms in the U.S. Senate, followed by a presidential appointment as ambassador.
U.S. Senate Highlights
Udall first won his U.S. Senate seat in 2008, defeating Republican Steve Pearce by 186,606 votes after incumbent Pete Domenici retired. He won reelection in 2014, defeating Republican Allen Weh by 57,312 votes. Over his Senate tenure, he became the senior member and dean of New Mexico’s congressional delegation before choosing not to run for a third term in 2020.
Other Wins & Achievements
Beyond the Senate, Udall won the 3rd district House seat in 1998 against incumbent Bill Redmond and was reelected four times, including an unopposed run in 2002. His earlier statewide win came in 1990, when he was elected New Mexico’s attorney general, a position he held for two terms from 1991 to 1999.
Tom Udall Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Tom Udall comes from one of the most prominent political families in the American West. His father, Stewart Udall, served as a U.S. Representative from Arizona and as United States Secretary of the Interior from 1961 to 1969. His uncle, Morris K. Udall, known as Mo Udall, represented Arizona in the U.S. House for 30 years. His first cousin, Mark Udall, served as a U.S. Senator from Colorado, and his second cousin, Mike Lee, serves in the Senate from Utah. His double second cousin, Gordon Smith, represented Oregon in the Senate.
Personal Life
Tom Udall is married to the former Jill Cooper, and the couple has a daughter. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After leaving the Senate in 2021, he and his family transitioned to diplomatic life when he was appointed United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, presenting his credentials in Wellington on December 2, 2021, and in Samoa on February 17, 2022. His ambassadorial term ended in 2025.