Democrat - Challenger
Endorsed for U.S. Senate by
Council for a Livable World Candidate Fund

Please note: Tom Udall is running for Senate in New Mexico; his cousin, Mark Udall, is running for Senate from Colorado. Council for a Livable World Candidate Fund has endorsed both candidates.

New Mexico has an open Senate seat for the first time in 25 years, a rare opportunity to win another seat in the closed contested U.S. Senate. In October 2007, Senator Pete Domenici announced that he would not seek reelection in 2008 due to his serious illness. Domenici has been a leading advocate for building new nuclear weapons and expanding the large nuclear weapons complex in New Mexico.

Running to replace him is Democratic U.S. Representative Tom Udall, currently serving his fifth term in the House of Representatives. A hardworking and effective legislator, Udall is well-known and highly respected across the state as a strong advocate of progressive issues. Udall will not face a serious challenge in the Democratic primary.

Council for a Livable World urges you to help elect this progressive to the United States Senate by writing a check to "UDALL FOR US ALL."

Competing for the Republican nomination are U.S. Representatives Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce plus former state Senator Tom Benevides. Benevides' is unlikely to have a major effect on the outcome of the race.

Udall's record is excellent on arms control as well as on issues of war and peace. He scored a 100% on Council for a Livable World PeacePAC's last three voting scorecards. He voted:

• * To cut funding for unreliable missile defense programs
• * To prohibit funding for development of nuclear earth penetrator weapons
• * For a ban on space-based weapons
• * Against the U.S.-India nuclear deal

Udall has been an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq. He voted against the authorization to send troops in 2002, for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, and against building U.S. permanent bases in Iraq.

In response to General David Petraeus' testimony to Congress in September 2007, Udall argued, "The time has come for the White House to finally realize the war in Iraq needs a political solution, not a military one. Once again, I renew my call to responsibly redeploy our troops from Iraq so we can begin to address the dire readiness state of our military and refocus on fighting terrorism around the world."

Udall has worked to prevent a military strike against Iran:

"While we address our ongoing concerns, we must be vigilant in ensuring that the United States works with the international community and approaches the Middle East diplomatically...we must not preemptively strike other sovereign nations because of incomplete and questionable information."

Furthermore, he voted for the investigation of the treatment of foreign detainees, for the closing the Abu Ghraib prison and for repealing the most egregious sections of the PATRIOT Act. Udall has made fair and adequate treatment of veterans a major cause: he served on the Veterans' Committee for eight years. Udall wrote the renewable energy standard provision in energy bill passed by the House, although Domenici led the effort to kill the language in the Senate.

Udall has an impressive resume. Educated at Prescott College, Cambridge University in England, and the University of New Mexico School of Law, Udall served as U.S. attorney and Chief Counsel to the Department of Health and Environment. He was New Mexico's Attorney General for eight years before he entered Congress in 1998.

Udall's Republican competitors Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce have dismal PeacePAC voting records of 24% and 18% respectively. Wilson claims to be the moderate in the race, and on occasion has split with the Bush administration. "This is not a typical Republican district, and I'm not a typical Republican," she has said. However, on many key votes, she has sided with the Republican majority. Wilson voted consistently against amendments to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, against a ban on weapons in space and against an amendment requiring prior Congressional approval before any U.S. military attack on Iran.

Rep. Pearce portrays himself as the true conservative in the contest, the "Consistent Conservative," according to his television ads. He has consistently supported the war in Iraq and was one of only 24 House members to support permanent U.S. bases in Iraq. He has voted against increased funding for the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (a nuclear non-proliferation program), as well as against cutting funds for nuclear reprocessing and missile defense.

The Udall family commitment to public service is well-known in the West. Tom Udall's father, Stewart Udall, was elected to four terms in Congress and then served as Secretary of the Interior from 1961-1969. His uncle, Morris Udall, served 30 years in Congress, and two of his cousins, Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) and Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) currently serve in Congress.

Udall's strengths are confirmed in the polls. A November 2007 poll by Research 2000 showed Udall beating both Pearce and Wilson by 17 percentage points. Udall began the campaign with a cash advantage over each of his opponents. As of the end of 2007, he had $1.7 million in his campaign treasury. Although Tom Udall is the favorite -- many nonpartisan pundits rank New Mexico as the 2nd most likely Senate seat to switch parties -- he is not a cinch. Those opposing him are sure to spend whatever it takes to distort his progressive record as they fight to hold on to this seat.

Though New Mexico has been trending Democratic in recent years, it is a purple state that supports candidates from both parties. In 2000, Al Gore won New Mexico by fewer than 400 votes. Four years later, President Bush beat John Kerry in the state by 50% to 49%. Moreover, Heather Wilson has shown political savvy in getting elected in a tough district; she has the support of her patron, Senator Domenici, still very popular in the state. And Steve Pearce is independently wealthy and will have adequate resources in the election.

Tom Udall will need your help to beat his Republican challenger in this race. Council for a Livable World is enthusiastically participating in this contest, one of the best chances to gain a progressive seat in the U.S. Senate. If you agree that it is important to add Tom Udall's voice and vote to the Senate, please make your check out to: