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Mark Emery Udall (born July 18, 1950) is the senior United States Senator from Colorado and a member of the Democratic Party. From 1999 to 2009, Udall served as a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives, representing . The second district consisted of Broomfield, Clear Creek, Eagle, Gilpin, Grand, and Summit counties, as well as portions of Adams, Boulder, and Jefferson counties. He also served a term in the Colorado House of Representatives.
Udall won the 2008 United States Senate election, defeating Republican challenger Bob Schaffer.
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Quotations
Nations make mistakes. Great nations acknowledge mistakes, learn and chart a new course. For the sake of future generations and to keep faith with the generations that built America, lets be a great nation.
On the mountains mistakes are fatal. In politics, mistakes are wounding emotionally, but you recover. Personally, wilderness helps me get back in touch with natural rhythms, helps me reflect and, in the process, restore my creativity.
Encyclopedia
Mark Emery Udall (born July 18, 1950) is the senior United States Senator from Colorado and a member of the Democratic Party. From 1999 to 2009, Udall served as a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives, representing . The second district consisted of Broomfield, Clear Creek, Eagle, Gilpin, Grand, and Summit counties, as well as portions of Adams, Boulder, and Jefferson counties. He also served a term in the Colorado House of Representatives.
Udall won the 2008 United States Senate election, defeating Republican challenger Bob Schaffer. He became Colorado's senior Senator just 17 days into his first term, as Ken Salazar resigned his seat to become United States Secretary of the Interior.
Personal background
Mark was born in Tucson, Arizona and is the son of Morris "Mo" Udall, a former congressman from Arizona and candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 1976. He is a first cousin of Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico and a double second cousin of former Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon. He is also the nephew of former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall. The Udall family, with its years of service in the public sector, is one of the more well known families in the United States.
Mark Udall graduated from Canyon del Oro High School, located in the Tucson suburb of Oro Valley in 1968. He graduated from Williams College in 1972 and moved to Colorado. He was an instructor, course director and program director with the Colorado Outward Bound School for 20 years, serving as a program director for 10 years from 1975-1985 and as executive director from 1985-1995. While serving as program director at the Colorado Outward Bound School, he accomplished many important goals, including expanding the program's minority outreach.
Mark is a 5th generation Westerner and currently lives in Eldorado Springs, a suburb of Boulder, with his wife and two children. He is an enthusiastic outdoorsman and enjoys skiing, golfing, hiking and camping. An avid mountaineer, he has climbed all 14ers (54 mountains in Colorado with peaks above 14,000 feet elevation) and attempted some of the world's most challenging peaks, including Mt. Everest. He was recently featured in Men's Journal Magazine, which touted his athletic abilities.
In January 2008, Udall acknowledged to the Rocky Mountain News that he had pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana in 1972, and served a year's probation.
Elected offices
Mark Udall was elected to the Colorado State House of Representatives in 1997. After only one term in the Colorado State House of Representatives, Udall won the Democratic nomination for the 2nd District in 1998 after 12-year incumbent David Skaggs retired. The race was unexpectedly close, with Udall only defeating Boulder's Republican Mayor, Bob Greenlee, by 50% to 48%. He has since easily won reelection four times. He is co-chair of the Congressional Fitness Caucus, Vice President of the Democratic Freshman Class, on the Democratic Homeland Security Task Force and Co-chair of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus
Udall has always touted his commitment to working for bipartisanship in Congress. On his campaign website, he discusses his advocacy for the environment and development of alternative fuels. He is a strong supporter of the U.S. military and military-related industries, including the development of new jobs in the aerospace field. He has also stated that he has opposed the Patriot Act since it was first initiated. Throughout his time in Congress, Udall has consistently worked with both Republicans and Democrats to accomplish important legislation for the state of Colorado.
Legislative accomplishments
- In 2000, a proposal led by Democratic Congressman Mark Udall and Republican Senator Wayne Allard, proposed transforming Rocky Flats, a former nuclear weapons production site, into a wildlife refuge, setting aside 6,400 acres (25 kmē) after cleanup and closure. The Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge Act passed in 2001.
- Amendment 37: Mark Udall championed the effort to pass Amendment 37, a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard that requires an increase in the production of energy by renewable energy sources of 20% by 2020. Voters overwhelmingly supported Amendment 37 in 2004 and it was the first RES to be passed by voters as opposed to legislators.
- Mark Udall was part of the bipartisan effort of all Colorado delegates that proposed and passed a bill to improve the ability of the government to address the problems caused by the pine beetle infestation in Colorado's forestlands. It is estimated that all mature lodgepole pines could be decimated by 2010 if action is not taken.
- Mark Udall secured $19 million in research and development funding for Colorado defense companies.
- Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) worked together to successfully pass legislation that would provide funding to school districts to replace older diesel buses that used renewable sources of energy, such as compressed natural gas or electricity.
- Mark Udall Udall re-introduced H.R. 595, the Stimulating Leadership in Cutting Expenditures (SLICE) Act, in January 2007 with the support of Republican Representatives including Jeff Flake and Tim Ryan. This Act would allow the President to identify specific items of federal spending that he thinks should be cut from appropriation bills and then require Congress to vote on each of those items individually. The goal would be to reduce the amount of federal money that goes to congressional earmarks.
- Mark Udall co-authored legislation with Republican Representative Frank Wolf that promoted a 'responsible' redeployment strategy in Iraq.
Political positions
- Fiscal Responsibility
- The Iraq War
- Gun Rights
- See Mark Udall's Project Vote Smart page at http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=12329 for more information on his political stances.
Committee assignments
U.S. House, 1999-2009
U.S. Senate, 2009-Present
Senate election 2008
On January 15, 2007, Senator Wayne Allard announced he would not run for a third term. Mark Udall ran unopposed in the primary election and was chosen as the Democratic nominee for the race, running against Republican former U.S. Representative Bob Schaffer. The Colorado U.S. Senate race became one of the most competitive races in the country.
As of August 28, 2008, over $10 million had been spent on so-called attack ads against Udall by political parties and independent issues group; more than any other Senate race in the US. Udall's campaign responded by creating a website that addresses the claims in those ads.
Udall's first cousin, U.S. Representative Tom Udall, ran for and won the U.S. Senate seat in New Mexico left open by the retirement of Pete Domenici (R-NM). Including their double second cousin, Senator Gordon Smith, there were three Udalls running in Senate elections in 2008. Smith in Oregon was narrowly defeated in his bid for a third term.
On September 28, 2008, Udall and Schaffer appeared on Meet the Press's Senate Debate series, discussing the proposed bailout of the U.S. financial system.
On election day, Udall defeated Schaffer by a 53% to 43% margin.
Endorsements
- The Aspen Times endorsed Mark Udall on Friday, October 3, 2008
- Environment Colorado endorsed Mark Udall
See also
External links
- official U.S. Senate website
- official Senate campaign website
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