Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico announced on Monday that he will not seek reelection in 2020. He offered no specific explanation for his decision, saying merely that, “the worst thing anyone in public office can do is believe the office belongs to them, rather than to the people they represent.” Originally elected in 2008, he’s only seventy years old and in seemingly good health. His decision will make it incrementally more difficult for the Democrats to retake control of the U.S. Senate in 2021.
His father Stewart Udall was the environmentally conscious and conservation-minded Secretary of the Interior throughout the 1960’s, and Tom has been bringing that same sensibility to his job in Congress. He’s the ranking member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, which gives him a lot of influence over how money is spent to protect our land and resources and combat climate change and pollution. His absence will be felt immediately even if the Democrats hold his seat.
There’s reason for optimism on that front, as New Mexico has been trending hard in the Democrats’ direction in recent years. The party won every statewide office on the ballot in the 2018 midterms and has a Democratic governor, two Democratic senators, and an all-Democratic caucus in the House. By way of caution, it should be remembered that George W. Bush carried the state in 2004 by a razor-thin 49.8 percent to 49.0 percent advantage.
Immediate successors mentioned to replace Udall from the Democratic side include all three members of Congress (freshmen Deb Haaland and Xochitl Torres Small, as well as DCCC chairman Ben Ray Luján) and the state’s attorney general, Hector Balderas. Perhaps because this news came as a surprise, there are no people lined up for the GOP with statements or intentions to run.
It’s almost always easier to flip a Senate seat if it’s open rather than occupied by an incumbent, and that’s certainly true here because Tom Udall is popular and not plagued by any whiff of scandal. Donald Trump lost the state in 2016 to Hillary Clinton by 8.3 percentage points, carrying only 40 percent of the vote. If he can’t improve on that performance dramatically, he’ll serve as a drag on the ticket. Still, this is welcome news for the GOP because it at least gives them a shot a making a pickup, and they’re probably worried that they’ll lose at least a couple of seats in 2020 if things don’t improve for them between now and then.
Regardless of what happens to the seat, I’m sorry to learn that Udall won’t be staying in the Senate fighting for environmental causes from his powerful perch on the Appropriations Committee. He won’t be easy to replace.
Quite a loss. But the Dem bench here is big and the Republicans do t seem to have anyone viable. Pearce is the closest and he just lost for governor by a lot. The Dem reps not likely to run. Two are freshmen. Ben Ray Luján is too powerful in the house at #4. The Dem bench is, I think, AG Balderas, SOS Toulouse Oliver, or ABQ Mayor Keller.,
Only 70 years old?!
For Pete’s sake, let this poor guy retire already.
It’s hard to lose them, but it’s also important to get some fresh talent from time to time.
to be honest, half of them don’t get elected until they’re in their sixties.
Much too late. Definitely 40s/50s should be the way to go. Then maybe the next time facebook or google or apple get hauled up there the senators will have some idea what they are talking about.
Well if they are like it me – it took that long to get pissed off enough to actually consider running for or working in government.
And lo and behold it’s as corrupt as everyone thinks it is. It’s no wonder we ended up with the cranks, bigots, sell-outs, narcissists and cowards that we have.
Politics is not a healthy environment.
Its hard to see how we could ever actually reduce the corruption in our system at this point. In some ways its not a shock to understand why Trumpers like the idea of a strongman. A number of rulers in history considered good or powerful started their reigns by reducing corruption.
Warren – 70 in June
Sanders – 78 in September
Biden – 76
Pelosi – 79
70 is like a spring chicken.
And it is my main source of concern with Bernie.
John and Jane Q. Public sure don’t keep a job at 70 years of age unless they’re financially stuck.
I just want to be the first to declare that Luján is unacceptable because he is
in league with the Devilchair of the DCCC.He is not head of DCCC. He was in 2018 when the Dems took over the house. Now Bustos.
That’s even worse! She was a flack for a health conglomerate.
Why can’t they just give the job to AOC until she’s old enough to be president?
If this isn’t sarcasm I am lost.
Actually the sarcasm was falling flat until the remark about AOC. Davis is usually cleverer than what you see here.
There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell a Republican is going to win a senate seat in New Mexico in 2020.
If you want to fret about something: NM-2. NM-2 is a tough gig with all the Conservatives and Texasses who infest the district and it is one seat the Republicans do have a change to flip D -> R so they could throw some national money and support into the race. Rep. Xochitl Liana Torres Small will have a fight against the odds to keep the seat D.
If the Republicans put up Heather Wilson there might be a shot. The Dems might expect a primary race to be an expensive and divisive event leaving an opening. I’m up north and there is no way a Republican will carry the north. Depends what happens with AF bases, labs, etc. But there is a snowball’s chance, IMHO.
There’s something wrong with this discussion thread. I mean, the Udalls are Mormons, and slamming Mormons is de rigueur here at Booman Tribune. I sure hope someone comes along and fixes this problem.
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/26/lujan-new-mexico-senate-race-1238183