Mark Udall
Mark Udall (b. July 18, 1950, in Tucson, AZ) is a former Democratic member of the U.S. Senate from the state of Colorado. Udall was first elected to the Senate in 2008 and lost his bid for re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2014. He was defeated by Rep. Cory Gardner (R) in the general election on November 4, 2014.[1] Udall was one of several vulnerable Democratic senators in 2014.[2][3]
Udall began his political career in 1996, winning election to the Colorado House of Representatives. He served one term in the state house and then won election to the U.S. House in 1998. Udall served in that position until his election to the Senate in 2008.
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Udall's academic, professional, and political career:[4]
- 1972: Graduated from Williams College with B.A.
- 1974: Field coordinator, Morris K. Udall for President
- 1985-1995: Executive director, Colorado Outward Bound School
- 1996-1998: Colorado House of Representatives
- 1999-2009: U.S. Representative from Colorado
- 2009-2015: U.S. Senator from Colorado
Committee assignments
U.S. Senate
2013-2014
Udall served on the following committees:[5]
- Armed Services
- Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
- Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
- Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
- Energy and Natural Resources
- Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining
- Subcommittee on National Parks
- Subcommittee on Energy
- United States Senate committee on Intelligence
2011-2012
Udall served on the following committees:
- Armed Services
- Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
- Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
- Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
- Energy and Natural Resources
- Subcommittee on Energy
- Subcommittee on National Parks, Chair
- Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests
- Intelligence
- Aging
Key votes
113th Congress
The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[6] The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Udall's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[7]
National security
John Brennan CIA nomination
Udall voted for the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination.[8]
Economy
Farm bill
On February 4, 2014, the Democratic controlled Senate approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill.[9] It passed the Senate with a vote of 68-32. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that will kick in if or when prices drop; however, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.[10] Udall joined with 46 other Democratic senators in favor of the bill.
2014 Budget
On January 16, 2014, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014.[11][12] The Senate voted 72-26 for the 1,582 page bill, with 17 Republicans and 55 Democrats voting in favor of the bill.[12] The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations.[13] It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency and left the Affordable Care Act without any drastic cuts. Udall voted with the Democratic Party in favor of the bill.[11][12]
Government shutdown
- See also: United States budget debate, 2013
During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[14] The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Udall voted with the Democratic Party for the bill.[15]
No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013
Udall voted for H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill.[16]
Immigration
Mexico-U.S. border
Udall voted against Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines.[17]
Social issues
Violence Against Women (2013)
Udall voted for S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans.[18]
Previous congressional sessions
Fiscal Cliff
Udall voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by an 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.[19]
Campaign themes
2014
Udall's campaign website listed the following issues:[20]
“ |
|
” |
—Mark Udall's campaign website, http://markudall.com/on-the-issues/ |
Tenure
On February 13, 2009, Udall voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus.[22] In 2009, he also voted for the Affordable Care Act.[23] The following year, Udall was one of seven Democrats to vote against a deal to extend the Bush tax cuts for two years.[24] He said that he has opposed the Patriot Act since its inception, though the Denver Post reported in 2013 that Udall said he has "no problem" with PRISM, an electronic surveillance data mining program implemented by the National Security Agency.[25][26]
He voted for the Employee Free Choice Act, a proposal to eliminate the secret ballot in voting to unionize businesses.[27] Udall voted in February 2014 for the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, a $1 trillion dollar bill that expanded crop insurance by $7 billion over the next decade, and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that kick in when prices drop, and which cut food stamp subsidies for 1.7 million people across 15 states.[28][29]
Udall repeatedly voted against the Keystone XL pipeline.[30] He also voted to expand background checks for gun purchases.[31]
Elections
2014
Udall lost his bid for re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2014. He won the Democratic nomination in the primary on June 24, 2014, unopposed.[32] He was defeated by Cory Gardner (R) in the general election on November 4, 2014.[1]
In February 2014, Udall's campaign received a lien from Colorado for failure to pay unemployment insurance.[33]
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | ![]() |
48.2% | 983,891 | |
Democratic | Mark Udall Incumbent | 46.3% | 944,203 | |
Libertarian | Gaylon Kent | 2.6% | 52,876 | |
Independent | Steve Shogan | 1.4% | 29,472 | |
Independent | Raul Acosta | 1.2% | 24,151 | |
Unity Party of Colorado | Bill Hammons | 0.3% | 6,427 | |
Total Votes | 2,041,020 | |||
Source: Colorado Secretary of State |
Full history
To view the full congressional electoral history for Mark Udall, click [show] to expand the section. | |
---|---|
2008 On November 4, 2008, Mark Udall won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Bob Schaffer (R), Douglas Campbell (American Constitution), Bob Kinsey (G) and three write-in candidates in the general election.[34] 2006 On November 7, 2006, Mark Udall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Rich Mancuso (R), Norm Olsen (L) and J. A. Calhoun (G) in the general election.[35] 2004 On November 2, 2004, Mark Udall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Stephen Hackman (R) and Norm Olsen (L) in the general election.[36] 2002 On November 5, 2002, Mark Udall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Sandy Hume (R), Norm Olsen (L), Patrick West (Natural Law) and Erik Brauer (American Constitution) in the general election.[37] 2000 On November 7, 2000, Mark Udall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Carolyn Cox (R), Ronald Forthofer (G) and David Baker (L) in the general election.[38] 1998 On November 3, 1998, Mark Udall won election to the United States House. He defeated Bob Greenlee (R) and Patrick West (Natural Law) in the general election.[39] |
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Personal Gain Index
- See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)
- See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)
The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:
PGI: Change in net worth
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Udall's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $887,057 and $2,682,000. That averages to $1,784,531, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic senators in 2012 of $13,566,333.90. Udall ranked as the 54th most wealthy senator in 2012.[40] Between 2004 and 2012, Udall's calculated net worth[41] decreased by an average of 1 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.[42]
Mark Udall Yearly Net Worth | |
---|---|
Year | Average Net Worth |
2004 | $1,882,137 |
2012 | $1,784,531 |
Growth from 2004 to 2012: | −5% |
Average annual growth: | −1%[43] |
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.[44] |
The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.
PGI: Donation Concentration Metric
Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Udall received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Lawyers/Law Firms industry.
From 1997-2014, 23.71 percent of Udall's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.[45]
Mark Udall Campaign Contributions | |
---|---|
Total Raised | $32,816,096 |
Total Spent | $27,047,742 |
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
Lawyers/Law Firms | $2,704,252 |
Retired | $2,042,899 |
Securities & Investment | $1,203,533 |
Real Estate | $996,149 |
Leadership PACs | $833,446 |
% total in top industry | 8.24% |
% total in top two industries | 14.47% |
% total in top five industries | 23.71% |
Analysis
Ideology and leadership
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Udall was a rank-and-file Democrat as of July 2014. This was the same rating Udall received in June 2013.[46]
Like-minded colleagues
The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.[47]
Udall most often voted with: |
Udall least often voted with: |
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, Udall missed 36 of 1,701 roll call votes from January 2009 to July 2014. This amounts to 2.1 percent, which is worse than the median of 2 percent among current senators as of July 2014.[48]
Congressional staff salaries
The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Udall paid his congressional staff a total of $2,705,295 in 2011. He ranked 27th on the list of the lowest paid Democratic senatorial staff salaries and ranked 69th overall of the lowest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Colorado ranked 18th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.[49]
National Journal vote ratings
- See also: National Journal vote ratings
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.
2013
Udall ranked 33rd in the liberal rankings among U.S. senators in 2013.[50]
2012
Udall ranked 39th in the liberal rankings among U.S. senators in 2012.[51]
2011
Udall ranked 30th in the liberal rankings among U.S. senators in 2011.[52]
Voting with party
The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.
2014
Udall voted with the Democratic Party 95.5 percent of the time, which ranked 26th among the 53 Senate Democratic members as of July 2014.[53]
2013
Udall voted with the Democratic Party 94.9 percent of the time, which ranked 28th among the 52 Senate Democratic members as of June 2013.[54]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Udall and his wife, Maggie Fox, have two children.
In 1972, Udall was arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession. He served a night in jail and paid a $300 fine.[55]
Udall's brother, James “Randy” Udall, went missing on June 28, 2013, following a solo backpacking trip.[56] He was found dead of what appeared to be natural causes on July 3, 2013.[57]
Son's arrest
Udall's son Jed was arrested on January 29, 2014, on charges of vehicular trespassing and drug possession. According to reports, he broke into three cars and was found with heroin in his pocket. Senator Udall responded by saying, "Maggie and I are deeply distressed to learn of our son's arrest. We love our son and stand with him in his commitment to getting the treatment he needs. We appreciate the private space to deal with this as a family."[58]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Mark + Udall + Colorado + Senate
See also
External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial (federal level):
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Legislation:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Works by or about:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Huffington Post, "Election 2014," November 4, 2014
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 SENATE RACE RATINGS FOR JULY 18, 2014," accessed July 28, 2014
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 Senate Races," accessed July 28, 2014
- ↑ Biographical Director of the United States Congress, "Mark Udall," accessed October 20, 2011
- ↑ Congressional Quarterly, "Senate Committee List," accessed January 22, 2013
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 112th Congress," accessed September 5, 2013
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 113th Congress," accessed March 4, 2014
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "PN 48 - Nomination of John Brennan to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013
- ↑ Senate.gov, "H.R. 2642 (Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013)," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ NY Times, "Senate Passes Long-Stalled Farm Bill, With Clear Winners and Losers," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Politico, "Senate approves $1.1 trillion spending bill," accessed January 20, 2014
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 U.S. Senate, "January 16 Vote," accessed January 20, 2014
- ↑ Roll Call, "House Passes $1.1 Trillion Omnibus," accessed January 20, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Reid, McConnell propose bipartisan Senate bill to end shutdown, extend borrowing," accessed October 16, 2013
- ↑ Senate.gov, "H.R. 2775 As Amended," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "HR 325 - To Ensure the Complete and Timely Payment of the Obligations of the United States Government Until May 19, 2013 - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "S Amdt 1197 - Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "S 47 - Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Senate, "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff," accessed January 4, 2013
- ↑ Campaign website, "Issues," accessed August 14, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ "Denver Post","The $838 billion bill clears a key hurdle as a few GOP senators jump ship. Passage is likely today.", February 10, 2009
- ↑ Denver Post, "GOP challengers for Sen. Mark Udall's seat face big challenges", July 17, 2013
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Mark Udall Votes 'No' On Tax Deal (VIDEO)", December 13, 2010
- ↑ Albuquerque Journal, "House Extends Patriot Act; N.M. Delegates Split on Bill", July 22, 2005
- ↑ Denver Post, "Sen. Mark Udall urges Patriot Act reform on Face the Nation", July 28, 2013
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Mark Udall: High Noon in the Senate", May 11, 2009
- ↑ Denver Post, "Farm bill passes, will benefit Colorado farmers, counties", February 5, 2014
- ↑ New York Times, "Senate Passes Long-Stalled Farm Bill, With Clear Winners and Losers", February 4, 2014
- ↑ Denver Post, "Mark Udall’s position on Keystone back in limelight", June 12, 2014
- ↑ NBC News, "First Thoughts: Why the gun measure went down to defeat", April 18, 2013
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Primary election results," accessed June 24, 2014
- ↑ "Denver Post","Sen. Mark Udall: A lien, an endorsement and an emoji" March 20, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2000," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1998," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Mark Udall (D-Colo), 2012," accessed March 4, 2013
- ↑ This figure represents the total percentage growth from either 2004 (if the member entered office in 2004 or earlier) or the member's first year in office (as noted in the chart below).
- ↑ This number was found by dividing each member's total net worth growth percentage by the number of years included in the calculation.
- ↑ This figure represents the total percentage growth divided by the number of years for which there are net worth figures for each member.
- ↑ This figure was calculated using median asset data from the Census Bureau. Please see the Congressional Net Worth data for Ballotpedia spreadsheet for more information on this calculation.
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Sen. Mark Udall," accessed September 18, 2014
- ↑ GovTrack, "Mark Udall," accessed July 17, 2014
- ↑ OpenCongress, "Mark Udall," archived March 5, 2016
- ↑ GovTrack, "Mark Udall," accessed July 17, 2014
- ↑ LegiStorm, "Mark Udall," accessed August 6, 2012
- ↑ National Journal, "2013 Senate Vote Ratings," accessed July 17, 2014
- ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 21, 2013
- ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: Senate," accessed February 23, 2012
- ↑ OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014
- ↑ OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014
- ↑ "Denver Post","AD BLOWS SMOKE A VARIETY OF WAYS", September 11, 2008
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Brother of Sen. Mark Udall missing," July 2, 2013
- ↑ CNN, "Sen. Mark Udall's brother found dead," July 3, 2013
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Mark Udall's Son Arrested On Vehicular Trespassing, Drug Charges," January 30, 2014
Political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Wayne Allard |
U.S. Senate - Colorado 2009-2015 |
Succeeded by Cory Gardner |