Udall family
Encyclopedia
The Udall family is a U.S. political family rooted in the American West
. Its role in politics spans over 100 years and four generations. Udall politicians have been elected from four different states: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Oregon. If viewed as a combined entity, the Udall-Hunt-Lee family has been elected from six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah.
Three Udall family cousins were nominated by the two major American political parties for the United States Senate
elections of 2008, of which the two Democrats were elected and seated in 2009.
can be considered the family's founder. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri
, to David Udall and Eliza King, recent Mormon
converts from England
. They immigrated to the United States in 1851. The family travelled across the Great Plains
and Rocky Mountains
by ox cart
and settled in Nephi, Utah
. The elder David later became a Mormon bishop
.
In this environment, the younger David grew up to be a fervent Mormon as well. He married Eliza Stewart and they settled in Kanab, Utah
. Shortly after their marriage, David left to serve as a missionary in England for two years. In 1880, he was called by his church to move with his family to St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona, in order to become the local bishop and facilitate further Mormon migration into that community. This made David unpopular with established residents of St. Johns, who didn't want the Mormons there, but it did make him instantly prominent in the community.
David took a second wife, Ida Hunt, in 1882. She was a granddaughter of Jefferson Hunt
. David was prosecuted for, but not convicted of, bigamy
in 1884. In 1885, he was indicted for perjury
stemming from a sworn statement he made backing a land claim for Miles Romney (grandfather of George W. Romney
). His bail was posted by Baron Goldwater (father of Barry Goldwater
). The trial and its aftermath received heavy regional press coverage. David was convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment at a federal penitentiary in Detroit, Michigan
. Later, both the prosecutor and presiding judge at the trial wrote letters to President Grover Cleveland
supporting a pardon, stating they believed that David had misunderstood the law and that he lacked any criminal intent. President Cleveland issued a pardon after David served just three months of his sentence.
In 1887 David was made a stake president, a higher position in the Mormon hierarchy. In that position, he oversaw Mormon affairs over a broad portion of Arizona.
That same year, Tommy Stewart
, David's double brother-in-law, was elected to serve in the Utah Territorial Legislature. David's wife, Eliza, was Tommy's sister, and Tommy was married to David's sister, Mary, making Tommy a member of the Udall family by marriage. Tommy would later become mayor of Kanab.
In 1890, the LDS Church banned most instances of polygamy. After this, hostility toward Mormons in many communities outside of Utah decreased. Between improved relations with non-Mormons, and an ever-growing Mormon population in eastern Arizona, David's popularity improved such that he was elected to a single term in the Arizona Territorial Legislature
in 1899, as a Republican. He died as a widely respected member of his community in 1938, living long enough to see several of his sons elected to public office.
David's younger brother, Joseph Udall, also settled in Arizona, and became active in local politics. He served as chairman of the Apache County
Board of Supervisors from 1906–1920.
The first of David's children to seek office was Levi Stewart Udall
, who ran for clerk to the Arizona Superior Court in 1922 as a Democrat. His older brother, John Hunt Udall
, then filed to run for the same office as a Republican. John won.
John was later elected mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, and he served in that office from 1936–1938. He later served as a judge, and was narrowly defeated as a candidate for U.S. Congress in 1948. He was first married to Ruth Kimball, sister of Spencer W. Kimball
and niece of Joseph Smith, Jr.. Ruth died at a young age, and he remarried to Leah Smith, daughter of Jesse Nathaniel Smith
.
Levi followed a career in the judiciary, and was elected Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court in 1946. He served on that Court from 1947 until his death in 1960, and he was Chief Justice from 1951–53 and 1957–59. Levi was married to Louisa Lee. His brother, Jesse, was married to Louisa's sister Lela Lee. For this reason, their respective descendants are double cousins. The Lee sisters were granddaughters of John D. Lee
and Jacob Hamblin
.
Jesse Addison Udall
served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 1931–1938. Upon his brother Levi's death, he was appointed by the governor to fill the same seat on the Arizona Supreme Court. He served from 1960–72, and he was Chief Justice in 1964 and 1969.
Don Taylor Udall
served as Representative to the Arizona State Legislature
from 1941–42. He resigned to serve in World War II, and would later become a judge.
, son of John H. Udall, followed in his father's footsteps, and served as mayor of Phoenix, AZ from 1948–52. Unlike his father, he was a Democrat. He also served as a Superior Court Judge in Maricopa County, Arizona from 1952–56. Many kinships between the Udalls and other politicians and well-known people come through Nick. This is not so surprising when considering that Nick was a great-grandson of Utah Lieutenant Governor Heber C. Kimball
, who had 43 wives, 63 children, 176 grandchildren and 564 great-grandchildren. Among Nick's cousins is U.S. Ambassador J. Reuben Clark
.
Stewart Lee Udall
: Son of Levi S. Udall, served as a Democratic U.S. Representative
from Arizona
(1955–1961) and also as Secretary of the Interior
(1961–1969). Point Udall
, U.S. Virgin Islands, the easternmost point in the United States, is named in his honor.
Morris King "Mo" Udall
: Stewart's brother, also served as a Democratic
U.S. Representative from Arizona (1961–1991) and ran for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States
in 1976. Point Udall
, Guam, the westernmost point in the United States, is named in his honor.
David K. Udall, son of Jesse A. Udall, served as a city councilman in Mesa, Arizona
for eight years.
L. Kenyon Udall, son of Jesse A. Udall, served as the mayor of Gilbert, Arizona
for four years.
Joseph Leon Pace, son of Luella Udall Pace, was mayor of San Jose, California
during the 1960s.
, Stewart Udall's son, was the first of David King Udall's great-grandchildren to hold political office. He was a practicing attorney and ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Democrat in New Mexico in 1984 and 1988. In 1990 he was elected Attorney General of New Mexico, a position he held from 1991–99. He was finally elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico's 3rd District in 1998, and he served as Representative from 1999–2009. During this period he served in Congress beside his cousins Mark Udall and Gordon Smith (see below), marking one of the very few times in history when three members of the same family have served in Congress simultaneously. In 2008 he was elected to the U.S. Senate from New Mexico in a landslide victory. He took office in January 2009.
Gordon Harold Smith, Jesse Udall's grandson through his daughter Jessica Udall Smith, was the next to venture into politics. His father, Milan Dale Smith, Sr., was an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, and he later built a successful frozen foods empire. Gordon obtained a law degree and initially pursued a career as an attorney, before later taking over the frozen food business. In 1992, he was elected to the Oregon State Senate, as a Republican. He became president of that body in 1995. In 1997, he was narrowly defeated when running for the U.S. Senate in a Special election to replace Bob Packwood
. Later that year he won election to Oregon's other U.S. Senate seat, the only time anyone has ever run for the Senate twice in the same year. He served in the Senate from 1998–2009. In 2008, he was narrowly defeated for reelection, following a shift in Oregon politics over the preceding decade toward the Democratic Party. He was the last remaining Republican to hold statewide office at the time. Most Udall politicians have also been either Hunt
or Lee
descendants. Gordon Smith is unique in being descended from both additional lines.
Mark Emery Udall
, Morris Udall's son, pursued a 20 year career as an Outward Bound
instructor and director before launching a political career in 1996 with a successful campaign for the Colorado State House of Representatives as a Democrat. He served a single term there, before a successful bid for the U.S. House from Colorado's 2nd Congressional District in 1998. He held that office for ten years. In 2008 he was elected to the U.S. Senate from Colorado, and he was seated in January 2009. Raised Presbyterian, Mark is the first non-Mormon politician in the family. With Barack Obama
's nomination of Ken Salazar
as Secretary of the Interior, Colorado's other Senate seat was vacated January 20. 2009, and Mark became Colorado's senior Senator after just three weeks in office.
Milan Dale Smith, Jr.
, Gordon Smith's brother, was nominated to the federal judiciary by George W. Bush in 2006. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate (including his brother), and he currently serves on the U.S. Ninth Circuit
.
David King Udall, son of Mesa councilman David K. Udall, serves as a Superior Court Judge in Maricopa County, Arizona (since 2001).
Mike Lee and Thomas R. Lee
, though not Udalls, are second cousins to Mark and Tom Udall and Gordon Smith through their Lee roots; Mike Lee serves as a United States Senator from Utah (since 2011), and Thomas R. Lee is an Associate Justice on the Utah Supreme Court.
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
. Its role in politics spans over 100 years and four generations. Udall politicians have been elected from four different states: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Oregon. If viewed as a combined entity, the Udall-Hunt-Lee family has been elected from six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah.
Three Udall family cousins were nominated by the two major American political parties for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
elections of 2008, of which the two Democrats were elected and seated in 2009.
Pioneer generation
David King UdallDavid King Udall
David King Udall, Sr. was a representative to the Arizona Territorial Legislature and the founder of the Udall political family. His great-grandsons Mark and Tom currently represent the Colorado and New Mexico in the United States Senate, respectively.-Childhood years:David King Udall was born in...
can be considered the family's founder. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, to David Udall and Eliza King, recent Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
converts from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They immigrated to the United States in 1851. The family travelled across the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
and Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
by ox cart
Ox-wagon
An ox-wagon or bullock wagon is a four-wheeled vehicle pulled by oxen . It was a traditional form of transport, especially in Southern Africa but also in New Zealand and Australia. Ox-wagons were also used in the United States...
and settled in Nephi, Utah
Nephi, Utah
Nephi is a city in Juab County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,733 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Juab County. It was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1851, and is the principal city in Juab Valley, an...
. The elder David later became a Mormon bishop
Bishop (Mormonism)
Bishop is the highest priesthood office of the Aaronic priesthood in the Latter Day Saint movement. A bishop is usually the leader of a local congregation of church members. The Latter Day Saint concept of the office differs significantly from the role of bishops in other Christian denominations,...
.
In this environment, the younger David grew up to be a fervent Mormon as well. He married Eliza Stewart and they settled in Kanab, Utah
Kanab, Utah
Kanab is a city in and the county seat of Kane County, Utah, United States. The area was first settled in 1864 and the town was founded in 1870 when ten Mormon families moved into the area. The population was 3,564 at the 2000 census...
. Shortly after their marriage, David left to serve as a missionary in England for two years. In 1880, he was called by his church to move with his family to St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona, in order to become the local bishop and facilitate further Mormon migration into that community. This made David unpopular with established residents of St. Johns, who didn't want the Mormons there, but it did make him instantly prominent in the community.
Jefferson Hunt
Jefferson Hunt was a U.S. western pioneer, soldier, and politician. He was a captain in the Mormon Battalion, brigadier general in the California State Militia, a California State Assemblyman, and a representative to the Utah Territorial Legislature.-Early years:Hunt was born to John Hunt and...
. David was prosecuted for, but not convicted of, bigamy
Bigamy
In cultures that practice marital monogamy, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and when it occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is aware of the other...
in 1884. In 1885, he was indicted for perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
stemming from a sworn statement he made backing a land claim for Miles Romney (grandfather of George W. Romney
George W. Romney
George Wilcken Romney was an American businessman and Republican Party politician. He was chairman and CEO of American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962, the 43rd Governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969, and the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1969 to 1973...
). His bail was posted by Baron Goldwater (father of Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
). The trial and its aftermath received heavy regional press coverage. David was convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment at a federal penitentiary in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Later, both the prosecutor and presiding judge at the trial wrote letters to President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
supporting a pardon, stating they believed that David had misunderstood the law and that he lacked any criminal intent. President Cleveland issued a pardon after David served just three months of his sentence.
In 1887 David was made a stake president, a higher position in the Mormon hierarchy. In that position, he oversaw Mormon affairs over a broad portion of Arizona.
That same year, Tommy Stewart
William Thomas Stewart
William Thomas Stewart was mayor of Kanab, Utah, U.S. 1889-91, and a Representative to the Utah Territorial Legislature in 1887 & 1889....
, David's double brother-in-law, was elected to serve in the Utah Territorial Legislature. David's wife, Eliza, was Tommy's sister, and Tommy was married to David's sister, Mary, making Tommy a member of the Udall family by marriage. Tommy would later become mayor of Kanab.
In 1890, the LDS Church banned most instances of polygamy. After this, hostility toward Mormons in many communities outside of Utah decreased. Between improved relations with non-Mormons, and an ever-growing Mormon population in eastern Arizona, David's popularity improved such that he was elected to a single term in the Arizona Territorial Legislature
Arizona Territorial Legislature
The Arizona Territorial Legislature was the legislative body of Arizona Territory. It was a bicameral legislature consisting of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Council. Created by the Arizona Organic Act, the legislature initially consisted of nine members in...
in 1899, as a Republican. He died as a widely respected member of his community in 1938, living long enough to see several of his sons elected to public office.
David's younger brother, Joseph Udall, also settled in Arizona, and became active in local politics. He served as chairman of the Apache County
Apache County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*23.3% White*0.2% Black*72.9% Native American*0.3% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.0% Two or more races*1.3% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
Board of Supervisors from 1906–1920.
Sons of David King Udall
Twelve of David King Udall's children lived to adulthood: six by each of his wives. Four of his sons became attorneys; of those, all were elected or appointed to political and judicial offices. Interestingly, all of the Udall politicians descended from David's wife Eliza have been Democrats, while most of the politicians descended from his wife Ida have been Republicans.The first of David's children to seek office was Levi Stewart Udall
Levi Stewart Udall
Levi Stewart Udall was a U.S. lawyer who served as Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. He was a member of the Udall political family....
, who ran for clerk to the Arizona Superior Court in 1922 as a Democrat. His older brother, John Hunt Udall
John Hunt Udall
John Hunt Udall was mayor of Phoenix, Arizona from 1936-38. He was a member of the Udall political family....
, then filed to run for the same office as a Republican. John won.
John was later elected mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, and he served in that office from 1936–1938. He later served as a judge, and was narrowly defeated as a candidate for U.S. Congress in 1948. He was first married to Ruth Kimball, sister of Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer Woolley Kimball was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1973 until his death in 1985.-Ancestry:...
and niece of Joseph Smith, Jr.. Ruth died at a young age, and he remarried to Leah Smith, daughter of Jesse Nathaniel Smith
Jesse Nathaniel Smith
Jesse Nathaniel Smith was a Mormon pioneer, church leader, colonizer, politician and frontiersman. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
.
Levi followed a career in the judiciary, and was elected Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court in 1946. He served on that Court from 1947 until his death in 1960, and he was Chief Justice from 1951–53 and 1957–59. Levi was married to Louisa Lee. His brother, Jesse, was married to Louisa's sister Lela Lee. For this reason, their respective descendants are double cousins. The Lee sisters were granddaughters of John D. Lee
John D. Lee
John Doyle Lee was a prominent early Latter-day Saint who was executed for his role in the Mountain Meadows massacre.-Early Mormon leader:...
and Jacob Hamblin
Jacob Hamblin
Jacob Vernon Hamblin was a Western pioneer, Mormon missionary, and diplomat to various Native American Tribes of the Southwest and Great Basin. During his life, he helped settle large areas of southern Utah and northern Arizona where he was seen as an honest broker between Mormon settlers and the...
.
Jesse Addison Udall
Jesse Addison Udall
Jesse Addison Udall was a member of the Udall political family who served as chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court....
served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 1931–1938. Upon his brother Levi's death, he was appointed by the governor to fill the same seat on the Arizona Supreme Court. He served from 1960–72, and he was Chief Justice in 1964 and 1969.
Don Taylor Udall
Don Taylor Udall
Don Taylor Udall was a member of the Arizona State Legislature from the Udall political family.Born and raised in Arizona, he was the son of David King Udall and Ida Frances Udall....
served as Representative to the Arizona State Legislature
Arizona Legislature
The Arizona Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Senate. There are 60 Representatives and 30 Senators...
from 1941–42. He resigned to serve in World War II, and would later become a judge.
Grandchildren of David King Udall
Nick UdallNick Udall
John Nicholas Udall usually called Nick Udall was mayor of Phoenix, Arizona from 1948–52. He was a member of the Udall political family and was also a nephew of Spencer W. Kimball, the 12th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Udall was born and raised in Arizona...
, son of John H. Udall, followed in his father's footsteps, and served as mayor of Phoenix, AZ from 1948–52. Unlike his father, he was a Democrat. He also served as a Superior Court Judge in Maricopa County, Arizona from 1952–56. Many kinships between the Udalls and other politicians and well-known people come through Nick. This is not so surprising when considering that Nick was a great-grandson of Utah Lieutenant Governor Heber C. Kimball
Heber C. Kimball
Heber Chase Kimball was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He served as one of the original twelve apostles in the early Latter Day Saint church, and as first counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his...
, who had 43 wives, 63 children, 176 grandchildren and 564 great-grandchildren. Among Nick's cousins is U.S. Ambassador J. Reuben Clark
J. Reuben Clark
Joshua Reuben Clark, Jr. was an American attorney, civil servant, and a prominent leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Born in Grantsville, Utah Territory, Clark was a prominent attorney in the Department of State, and Under Secretary of State for US president Calvin Coolidge...
.
Stewart Lee Udall
Stewart Udall
Stewart Lee Udall was an American politician. After serving three terms as a congressman from Arizona, he served as Secretary of the Interior from 1961 to 1969, under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B...
: Son of Levi S. Udall, served as a Democratic U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
(1955–1961) and also as Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
(1961–1969). Point Udall
Point Udall (U.S. Virgin Islands)
Point Udall at the east end of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands is the easternmost point in the United States including territories and insular areas. It was named for Stewart Udall, United States Secretary of the Interior under Presidents John F...
, U.S. Virgin Islands, the easternmost point in the United States, is named in his honor.
Morris King "Mo" Udall
Mo Udall
Morris King "Mo" Udall was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Arizona from May 2, 1961 to May 4, 1991...
: Stewart's brother, also served as a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
U.S. Representative from Arizona (1961–1991) and ran for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in 1976. Point Udall
Point Udall (Guam)
Point Udall is the westernmost point in the territorial United States, located on the Orote Peninsula of Guam. It lies at the mouth of Apra Harbor, on the end of Orote Peninsula, opposite the Glass Breakwater of Cabras Island which forms the northern coast of the harbor.-Naming:The point is named...
, Guam, the westernmost point in the United States, is named in his honor.
David K. Udall, son of Jesse A. Udall, served as a city councilman in Mesa, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
for eight years.
L. Kenyon Udall, son of Jesse A. Udall, served as the mayor of Gilbert, Arizona
Gilbert, Arizona
-Demographics:As of July 1, 2009, Maricopa Association of Governments, Census 2000. United States Census Bureau. there were 217,521 people, 74,147 housing units, and 3.01 persons per household....
for four years.
Joseph Leon Pace, son of Luella Udall Pace, was mayor of San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
during the 1960s.
Fourth generation
Thomas Stewart "Tom" UdallTom Udall
Thomas Stewart "Tom" Udall is the junior United States Senator from New Mexico and a member of the Democratic Party. He had represented as a member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999. Udall was elected as the junior United States senator from New Mexico on November 4, 2008,...
, Stewart Udall's son, was the first of David King Udall's great-grandchildren to hold political office. He was a practicing attorney and ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Democrat in New Mexico in 1984 and 1988. In 1990 he was elected Attorney General of New Mexico, a position he held from 1991–99. He was finally elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico's 3rd District in 1998, and he served as Representative from 1999–2009. During this period he served in Congress beside his cousins Mark Udall and Gordon Smith (see below), marking one of the very few times in history when three members of the same family have served in Congress simultaneously. In 2008 he was elected to the U.S. Senate from New Mexico in a landslide victory. He took office in January 2009.
Gordon Harold Smith, Jesse Udall's grandson through his daughter Jessica Udall Smith, was the next to venture into politics. His father, Milan Dale Smith, Sr., was an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, and he later built a successful frozen foods empire. Gordon obtained a law degree and initially pursued a career as an attorney, before later taking over the frozen food business. In 1992, he was elected to the Oregon State Senate, as a Republican. He became president of that body in 1995. In 1997, he was narrowly defeated when running for the U.S. Senate in a Special election to replace Bob Packwood
Bob Packwood
Robert William "Bob" Packwood is a U.S. politician from Oregon and a member of the Republican Party. He resigned from the United States Senate, under threat of expulsion, in 1995 after allegations of sexual harassment, abuse and assault of women emerged.-Early life and career:Packwood was born in...
. Later that year he won election to Oregon's other U.S. Senate seat, the only time anyone has ever run for the Senate twice in the same year. He served in the Senate from 1998–2009. In 2008, he was narrowly defeated for reelection, following a shift in Oregon politics over the preceding decade toward the Democratic Party. He was the last remaining Republican to hold statewide office at the time. Most Udall politicians have also been either Hunt
Jefferson Hunt
Jefferson Hunt was a U.S. western pioneer, soldier, and politician. He was a captain in the Mormon Battalion, brigadier general in the California State Militia, a California State Assemblyman, and a representative to the Utah Territorial Legislature.-Early years:Hunt was born to John Hunt and...
or Lee
John D. Lee
John Doyle Lee was a prominent early Latter-day Saint who was executed for his role in the Mountain Meadows massacre.-Early Mormon leader:...
descendants. Gordon Smith is unique in being descended from both additional lines.
Mark Emery Udall
Mark Udall
Mark Emery Udall is the senior United States Senator from Colorado and a member of the Democratic Party. From 1999 to 2009, Udall served in the United States House of Representatives, representing . He also served a term in the Colorado House of Representatives.Born in Tucson, Arizona, he is the...
, Morris Udall's son, pursued a 20 year career as an Outward Bound
Outward Bound
Outward Bound is an international, non-profit, independent, outdoor educationorganization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year...
instructor and director before launching a political career in 1996 with a successful campaign for the Colorado State House of Representatives as a Democrat. He served a single term there, before a successful bid for the U.S. House from Colorado's 2nd Congressional District in 1998. He held that office for ten years. In 2008 he was elected to the U.S. Senate from Colorado, and he was seated in January 2009. Raised Presbyterian, Mark is the first non-Mormon politician in the family. With Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's nomination of Ken Salazar
Ken Salazar
Kenneth Lee "Ken" Salazar is the current United States Secretary of the Interior, in the administration of President Barack Obama. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009. He and Mel Martinez were the first Hispanic U.S...
as Secretary of the Interior, Colorado's other Senate seat was vacated January 20. 2009, and Mark became Colorado's senior Senator after just three weeks in office.
Milan Dale Smith, Jr.
Milan Smith
Milan Dale Smith, Jr. is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, based in El Segundo, California.Smith's brother, Gordon Smith, was a Republican U.S. Senator from Oregon from 1996-2009.- Background :...
, Gordon Smith's brother, was nominated to the federal judiciary by George W. Bush in 2006. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate (including his brother), and he currently serves on the U.S. Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
.
David King Udall, son of Mesa councilman David K. Udall, serves as a Superior Court Judge in Maricopa County, Arizona (since 2001).
Mike Lee and Thomas R. Lee
Thomas R. Lee
Thomas R. Lee is an Associate Justice on the Utah Supreme Court. His nomination unanimously passed a vote by the Utah Supreme Court Judiciary Committee in mid-June 2010. Justice Lee was sworn in July 19, 2010....
, though not Udalls, are second cousins to Mark and Tom Udall and Gordon Smith through their Lee roots; Mike Lee serves as a United States Senator from Utah (since 2011), and Thomas R. Lee is an Associate Justice on the Utah Supreme Court.
See also
- Lee-Hamblin familyLee-Hamblin familyThe Lee-Hamblin family is a political family rooted in the American West. It is intertwined closely with the Udall family, and most, though not all the notable Lees are also Udall descendants. There are no known links to the political Lee family of Virginia....
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in ArizonaThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in ArizonaAs of October 2010, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 381,235 members in 794 Congregations in Arizona, with 4 missions and 3 temples.-Mormon Battalion:...
External links
- "Showdown: The Udall Boys lead the Democratic charge for the Senate"
- The Political Graveyard: Udall Family of Arizona
- Gordon Smith's U.S. Senate Homepage
- Mark Udall's Colorado 2nd District Congressional Homepage
- Tom Udall's New Mexico 3rd District Congressional Homepage
- Morris K. Udall collection at the University of Arizona
- Stewart L. Udall collection at the University of Arizona
- David King Udall collection at the University of Arizona
- Levi S. Udall collection at the University of Arizona
- Jesse A. Udall collection at the University of Arizona