Mark Udall is serving his fifth term representing Colorado’s Second Congressional District.  The second district straddles the Continental Divide and includes the northwest Denver suburban parts of Adams, Broomfield, Boulder, Jefferson and Weld Counties, and the mountain and resort communities of Clear Creek, Gilpin, Grand, Summit and Eagle Counties. 

Udall is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Committee on Science and Technology, and the House Natural Resources Committee.  He previously served on the Small Business and Agriculture Committees.  His committee assignments have given him a platform to address many issues important to Colorado, including national security, energy, education, health care, technology, environment and transportation. Udall serves as Chairman on the Committee on Science Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. In addition, he is the co-chair of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, and is a recognized national leader in promoting a balanced national energy plan. Udall is also a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Mark’s operating style has been to avoid burning bridges with people, including those with whom he has philosophical differences.  “You can disagree without being disagreeable,” says Udall.  This style has allowed him to work in a bipartisan fashion to pass legislation to turn Rocky Flats, the former nuclear weapons facility, into a wildlife refuge, protect many of Colorado’s wilderness areas, establish a math and science scholarship program, and secure transportation funding for high-priority projects in Colorado.  In describing Udall’s work the Denver Post calls him “a tireless worker” and says he has “been effective largely because he puts the public’s business ahead of partisan concern.”  The Rocky Mountain News says, “time and again he's reached across the political aisle to craft a compromise solution to some sticky political problem.”  The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel calls him “conscientious,” “highly capable” and “energetic.”

Mark made his entrance into politics in 1997 as a representative in the Colorado State House, and he is no stranger to the world of public service.  His father, Morris “Mo” Udall, served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 30 years and ran for the Democratic nomination for President in 1976.  His uncle, Stewart, is widely revered for his accomplishments while serving as Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

Mark was born on July 18, 1950, in Tucson, Arizona, and has spent his entire adult life in Colorado.  After graduating from Williams College in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in American Civilization, he moved to Colorado’s western slope and began a long and successful career with the Colorado Outward Bound School, as a course director and educator from 1975-85 and as the organization’s Executive Director from 1985-95.  Taking the challenges of his career into his own life, Mark is an avid mountaineer and has climbed or attempted some of the world’s most challenging peaks, including Mt. Everest.

He and his wife, prominent attorney and conservationist Maggie Fox, have two children: a son Jed and a daughter Tess. They live near Eldorado Springs in Boulder County.

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