Udall says he won't be seeking re-election

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall announced Monday he would not seek re-election for a third term in 2020. In eastern New Mexico, local representatives supported his decision and applauded his service to their communities.

"His experience will be missed, but it will be a good opportunity to fill that seat," Portales Mayor Ron Jackson told The News. "He's been instrumental in helping us with our Ute Water project; we'll probably miss his expertise in that matter."

Jackson said he was proud of Udall's service to the state of New Mexico, though disappointed by the Democrat's more recent outspoken stance regarding the current presidential administration.

Udall spoke to that stance, and also said he intended to dedicate his remaining time in office to addressing "three real crises that are happening right now" - climate change, clean energy and protecting public lands and forests.

"Without the distraction of another campaign, I can get so much more done to help reverse the damage done to our planet, end the scourge of war, and to stop this president's assault on our democracy and our communities," Udall said.

Clovis Mayor David Lansford told The News he believes Udall's career "speaks for itself in many ways," but spoke to the outgoing senator's contributions locally.

"As it relates to eastern New Mexico he has been a faithful supporter of Cannon Air Force Base, he has been a faithful supporter of our educational institutions - Clovis Community College and Eastern New Mexico University - and he has also been a stalwart supporter of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Project," Lansford said. "Those things are what I remember him by more than anything else."

Stuart Ingle, a Republican serving Curry, Roosevelt, Chaves, De Baca and Lea counties in the state Senate, said he'd heard rumors of Udall's decision during the recent legislative session in Santa Fe.

"I wasn't terribly surprised," he told The News. "He had been in office a number of years and served as attorney general for the state of New Mexico for a couple of terms."

While Ingle added that Udall "could have certainly served another term" and would have been "awful tough to beat" for re-election, he supported the career development for the longtime public servant.

"He's at a point in his life he wanted change. I think that's great," Ingle said.

Udall, 70, served as New Mexico attorney general and in the U.S. House of Representatives for two decades before his election to the Senate in 2009. He said he was not retiring, but instead seeking new ways "to serve New Mexico and our country after I finish this term."

While announcing his decision, Udall said "the worst thing anyone in public office can do is believe the office belongs to them, rather than to the people they represent." He said he was "going to make the most out of each and every hour I have left as your senator" and was "absolutely committed to changing the course that this president has set for our country."

The Albuquerque Journal contributed to this report.