Mark Udall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Udall
Official portrait, 2009
United States Senator from Colorado
In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Wayne Allard
Succeeded by	Cory Gardner
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado's 2nd district
In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2009
Preceded by	David Skaggs
Succeeded by	Jared Polis
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 13th district
In office January 1997 – January 1999
Preceded by	Peggy Lamm
Succeeded by	Tom Plant
Personal details
Born	Mark Emery Udall (1950-07-18) July 18, 1950 (age 74) Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Maggie Fox ​ (m. 1982)​
Children	2
Parent	Mo Udall (father)
Relatives	Udall family
Education	Williams College (BA)
Signature

Mark Emery Udall (born July 18, 1950) is an American politician. He served as a United States Senator for Colorado from 2009 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Before becoming a Senator, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented Colorado's 2nd district. He also served in the Colorado House of Representatives. There, he represented parts of Boulder, Colorado.

Throughout his time in politics, Mark Udall worked on many important issues. He supported laws to help renewable energy grow. He also worked to make national parks bigger. Protecting natural resources was another key focus for him.

Mark Udall was born in Tucson, Arizona. His father, Mo Udall, was also a U.S. Representative. His uncle, Stewart Udall, was also a U.S. Representative. The Udall family is well-known in politics, especially in the western part of the country. Other relatives include Tom Udall from New Mexico and Mike Lee from Utah.

In 2014, Mark Udall ran for a second term as Senator. However, he lost by a small number of votes. The Republican challenger, Cory Gardner, won that election.

Early Life and Education

The Blue Peter flag is a symbol for the Outward Bound program.

Mark Udall was born in Tucson, Arizona. His parents were Patricia J. (née Emery) and Morris "Mo" Udall. His father was a U.S. Representative for Arizona. He also ran for president in 1976.

Mark went to Canyon del Oro High School. He graduated in 1968. While there, he was elected student body president. He also won the Arizona State Golf Championship for boys in 1968.

After high school, Mark Udall went to Williams College. He graduated in 1972 with a degree in American civilization. In 1976, he helped with his father's campaign. His father was trying to win the Democratic nomination for president.

After college, Udall moved to Colorado. He started working for Outward Bound. This is a non-profit group that teaches outdoor skills. For ten years, he was an instructor. He led people on outdoor trips. He also taught at Project Bold in Germany. Later, he became the Executive Director of Outward Bound for ten years. He spent twenty years working with the organization.

Serving in the Colorado House of Representatives

In 1996, Mark Udall was encouraged to run for office. Peggy Lamm was retiring from the Colorado House of Representatives. She represented the 13th district. Udall ran a local campaign in the district. He won by a small margin against Drew Bolin. He represented the Longmont and Boulder areas.

During his two years in this role, Udall worked on important committees. These included the Judiciary Committee. He also served on the Agriculture Livestock & Natural Resources Committee.

While in the Colorado House, Udall suggested a new law. It was called the "Renewable Electricity Standard." This law would have required 10% of Colorado's energy to come from renewable sources. This means energy from things like sun or wind, not fossil fuels. The bill did not pass. Udall decided not to run for re-election. Instead, he chose to run for the United States Congress. Tom Plant, another Democrat, took his place.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

After serving in the Colorado House, Udall ran for the Colorado's 2nd congressional district. The current representative, David Skaggs, was leaving. Udall won the primary election with 44% of the votes. He then faced Boulder, Colorado Mayor Bob Greenlee in the main election. Udall won that election closely, 49% to 47%.

Mark Udall was elected to the House five times in a row. He usually won without much trouble. He later decided to run for a Senate seat. Jared Polis took his place in the House.

Serving in the U.S. Senate

Senate Elections

2004 Election

In 2004, Udall wanted to run for a Senate seat. This seat was being left open by Ben Nighthorse Campbell. However, the next day, Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar also announced his candidacy. Udall decided not to run and supported Salazar instead.

2008 Election

Senate election results by county in 2008.

On January 15, 2007, Senator Wayne Allard said he would not run again. In April 2007, Udall announced he would run for the Senate. He became the Democratic candidate without anyone running against him in the primary. In the general election, Udall ran against Republican Bob Schaffer. This election was very competitive. Over $10 million was spent on ads against Udall. This was more than any other Senate race that year.

Experts thought Udall would win. He had a steady lead in the polls. On November 4, Mark Udall won the election. He received 52% of the votes.

2014 Election

Senate election results by county in 2014.

On January 7, 2013, Udall announced he would run for re-election. He had no opponents in the Democratic primary. He faced Republican U.S. Representative Cory Gardner in the main election. At first, polls showed Udall was favored to win. But around September, Gardner started to gain a steady lead.

Udall's campaign focused on important social issues. He also had support from well-known politicians. These included Jill Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Hillary Clinton. President Barack Obama also helped raise money for Udall's campaign. However, Udall lost the election to Cory Gardner.

Senate Work and Committees

Less than a month after Udall became a Senator, President Obama chose Senator Ken Salazar for a new role. Salazar became the United States Secretary of the Interior. After Salazar left, Udall became the most junior senior Senator. This means he was the newest Senator, but also the most experienced among the newest group.

Udall served on several important committees in the Senate:

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
  • Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
  • Subcommittee on Strategic Forces (chairman)
• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Energy
  • Subcommittee on National Parks (chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests
• Select Committee on Intelligence

Political Views and Actions

Agriculture Policy

In February 2014, Udall voted for a large agriculture bill. This bill was worth $1 trillion. It changed how farmers received payments. It also expanded crop insurance.

In 2011, Udall worked with Senator Susan Collins. They added an amendment to an agriculture bill. This amendment removed a limit on potatoes in school nutrition guidelines.

Campaign Finance Reform

Udall is part of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One. This group works to reduce the influence of money in politics. They want to make campaigns fairer.

Domestic Security

Udall has been against the National Security Agency's (NSA) mass surveillance programs. After it was revealed that the NSA was watching Americans, Udall wanted changes. He wrote an article with other Senators. They said they wanted to end the "dragnet." They believed the country could be safe without losing Americans' rights.

After the September 11 attacks, Udall voted against the Patriot Act. He was one of only 66 House members to do so. In 2011, he voted against renewing the Patriot Act. In 2014, he voted against the CISPA bill. He was worried it did not protect privacy enough.

Udall supported PRISM. This is an anti-terrorism program. However, he also wanted to change the Patriot Act. He believed Americans' phone records should not be collected in a government database without good reason.

Economy

In 2007, Udall voted for the Employee Free Choice Act. This act would have changed how workers vote to form a union. He supported it because he thought it would help workers.

On February 13, 2009, Udall voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This was a plan to help the economy. It is also known as The Stimulus.

In December 2010, Udall was one of seven Democrats to vote against a tax deal. This deal would have extended tax cuts for wealthy people. He said it would cost too much money.

Energy and Environment

Udall has supported tax breaks for renewable energy. He also supports making national parks larger. The League of Conservation Voters has given him a very high rating for his environmental work.

In 2004, Udall helped lead a statewide effort. This led to Amendment 37 being passed. This amendment created a Renewable Electricity Standard. It required 10% of Colorado's energy to come from renewable sources.

Udall introduced the "Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act." This law passed in 2011. It allows ski resorts to offer activities in the summer. In 2009, Udall introduced a law to help fix damage from a pine beetle problem in Colorado's forests. He called it one of the "biggest natural disasters."

In July 2014, Udall opposed two ballot initiatives in Colorado. These initiatives would have limited hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." They also would have created an "Environmental Bill of Rights." Udall has also voted against the Keystone XL pipeline. He wanted to wait for a full review of the project.

Gun Policy

After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Udall supported a ban on certain types of weapons. He said that if it could save even one child, he would support such policies. In April 2013, Udall supported a failed effort to expand background checks for gun purchases.

In 2009, Udall supported an amendment that would have allowed concealed weapons to be carried across state lines. The National Rifle Association of America gave him different grades over time. They gave him an "F" when he was in the House. They gave him a "C" when he was in the Senate.

Health Policy

In December 2009, Udall voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. He also supported a public health insurance option. He believed it would create competition and lower costs for Americans.

In 2013, Udall had concerns about how many Colorado residents lost their health insurance. This was due to the Affordable Care Act. His office believed the number was too high. They thought many people had received options to renew their plans.

Personal Life and Interests

Mark Udall is married to Maggie Fox. She is an environmental lawyer. She used to be the CEO of The Climate Reality Project. They met while working at Outward Bound. They got married in 1982. They have two children, Jedediah and Tess. Mark Udall enjoys golf. In 2011, Golf Digest ranked him as the 11th best golfer in Congress.

Udall has said that Coloradans love the outdoors. He believes it is part of their identity. He is an experienced mountaineer. He has climbed many peaks during his work and in his free time. He has climbed Colorado's 100 tallest peaks. He has also climbed Kangchenjunga in the Himalayas and Aconcagua in South America. He has tried to climb Mount Everest several times.

In 1986, Udall and his wife went on a trek up Mount Garmo. During the climb, Maggie broke her leg. A fellow climber, Steve Monfredo, died on the mountain. In 2013, Mark's brother, Randy Udall, went missing during a hike in Wyoming. His body was found a week later.

Electoral History

Images for kids

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  Mark Udall's signature

See also

• Udall family