William Thomas "Bill" Redmond (born January 28, 1954) is a former Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 member of the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 from New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

.

Redmond was born in Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

. He graduated from Lincoln Christian College and Seminary

Lincoln Christian College and Seminary

Lincoln Christian University , formerly Lincoln Christian College and Seminary , comprises a School of Undergraduate Studies, a Seminary, and the Hargrove School, all located in Lincoln, Illinois...

 in 1979 and was ordained as a minister. Redmond later attended Murray State University

Murray State University

Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...

, earning a degree in special education. He served in the United States Army Reserve

United States Army Reserve

The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....

 from 1980 until 1983 as part of an Army chaplain candidate program. Redmond was a minister for the Santa Fe Christian Church and a teacher at University of New Mexico

University of New Mexico

The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...

-Los Alamos

Los Alamos, New Mexico

Los Alamos is a townsite and census-designated place in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States, built upon four mesas of the Pajarito Plateau and the adjoining White Rock Canyon. The population of the CDP was 12,019 at the 2010 Census. The townsite or "the hill" is one part of town while...

.

He ran for Congress in 1996 and was badly defeated by the district's longtime Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 incumbent, Bill Richardson. However, only three months after that contest, Richardson resigned to become United States Ambassador to the United Nations

United States Ambassador to the United Nations

The United States Ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The position is more formally known as the "Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador...

. Redmond entered the special election for the balance of Richardson's term. He was initially a huge underdog even though the Democratic candidate, state Insurance Commissioner Eric Serna, was deeply unpopular with voters in the district. However, a Green

Green Party (United States)

The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...

 candidate siphoned off enough votes from Serna to allow Redmond to win by only 3,000 votes.

Despite representing a heavily Democratic district, Redmond had an unshakably conservative voting record. He ran for a full term in 1998 and was soundly defeated by state Attorney General Tom Udall

Tom Udall

Thomas Stewart "Tom" Udall is the junior United States Senator from New Mexico and a member of the Democratic Party. He had represented as a member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999. Udall was elected as the junior United States senator from New Mexico on November 4, 2008,...

, who received 53% over Redmond's 43%. He became the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2000, but was defeated by incumbent Jeff Bingaman

Jeff Bingaman

Jesse Francis "Jeff" Bingaman, Jr. , is the senior U.S. Senator from New Mexico and a member of the Democratic Party...

 61% to Redmond's 38%.

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