Congressman Tom Udall (New Mexico)

"During my five terms of service in the House, I have been a leading voice in calling for our nation's efforts to end our fossil fuel addiction, develop alternative sources of energy, secure our energy independence and reduce green house gas emissions. For me, and so many New Mexicans, these are more than buzzwords, they are the economic future of New Mexico and the moral imperative of this country. As New Mexico's next Senator, I will fight to make them a reality." -- Tom Udall, March 20, 2008

New Mexico, the land of enchantment, holds one of the most important and exciting Senate races this year. Tom Udall, current Congressman from the state's northern district and son of former Interior Secretary under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson Steward Udall, is running for the seat vacated by Senator Pete Domenici. After serving for more than three decades, current Senator Pete Domenici decided to retire in the fall of 2007. New Mexico has the highest percentage of competitive races in the country. Gore won the state by 365 votes in 2000, and Bush won by 1% in 2004. In addition to being a presidential battleground state, New Mexico has this competitive senate seat; all three congressional districts are open with at least two of them very competitive in the fall. Tom Udall will face Congressman Steve Pearce who currently represents the 2nd congressional district covering the lower portion of the state.

First as Attorney General and then as a Member of Congress, Tom has continued the strong Udall environmental legacy. He served on the House Resources Committee, fighting former Chairman Richard Pombo's efforts to open up wild lands for oil drilling and logging. He has championed policies to protect open spaces such as Valle Vidal and the Ojito Wilderness. His current passion is to move America onto a path of clean energy. The race represents the choice voters will face in November on our nation's energy policy, and the contrast could not be clearer.

In the House, Tom wrote and passed a bill to establish a national renewable energy standard to create good jobs, reinvigorate our economy by spurring technological innovation and new opportunities, control consumer costs and reduce global warming. Congressman Tom Udall has long been a leader in the effort to move America off oil to renewable power sources like wind and solar power. As our nation debates the changes we will need to make to solve our energy and economic problems, it's crucial that Tom Udall is part of a U.S. Senate that will help us build a clean energy economy that will benefit us all. New Mexicans can make a real difference in building a strong environmental Senate by voting for Tom Udall this November. For more information please visit http://tomudall.com/.