Tom Udall

Tom Udall served as a Senator from New Mexico in the United States Congress from 1999 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Tom Udall contributed to the legislative process during 7 terms in office.

Tom Udall’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history. As a member of the Senate, Tom Udall participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of constituents.

Thomas Stewart Udall ( YOO-dawl; born May 18, 1948) is an American diplomat, attorney, and politician who served as a United States senator for New Mexico from 2009 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he also served as the U.S. representative for New Mexico’s 3rd congressional district from 1999 to 2009 and New Mexico attorney general from 1991 to 1999. In 2022, he was made the United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, leaving his post in 2025. Born in Tucson, Arizona to the Udall family, he is the son of former U.S. Representative and Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall and the nephew of former U.S. Representative Mo Udall. His cousin is Mark Udall, a Senator for the neighboring state of Colorado from 2009 to 2015. Udall was first elected in the 2008 Senate race and was re-elected in 2014, and became dean of New Mexico’s congressional delegation. He did not seek a third term in 2020, making him the only Democratic senator to retire that cycle. On July 16, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Udall to serve as United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.