Blood Thicker Than Party? Cousins Vie for Senate Seats

June 9, 2008 — -- With President Bush essentially a lame duck and Sen. Hillary Clinton's recent exit from the presidential race to replace him, the power of two of the most notable American political families would seem to be ebbing. The mantle of American political family is up for grabs, and the extended family tree of the Udalls of the West are in line.

They're a good pick, too. November could see three Udall cousins from three different Western states all sitting in the U.S. Senate at the same time. And it's a well-rounded choice for a modern-day American political family – they've got Republicans and Democrats, Mormons and people who don't affiliate with churches, plural marriage and professional basketball players.

'The Udall Nearest You'

It starts with Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colo., who is currently engaged in a heated contest for the state's open Senate seat. Mark is the son of former Arizona Congressman Mo Udall, who was a pro basketball player and Democratic presidential candidate in 1976. Mo had a brother named Stewart Udall, who served as Secretary of Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

Stewart's son is New Mexico Congressman Tom Udall, who also happens to be running for New Mexico's open Senate seat as a Democrat.

Tom and Mark Udall grew up together and remain the best of friends, according to Mark, who said they vacation and climb mountains together and have the occasional informal caucus over a beer.

In the areas of New Mexico and Colorado that abut, they have adopted a campaign slogan that plays on their relationship: "Vote for the Udall nearest you."

Udall Across the Aisle

If Mark and Tom both make it to the Senate, they might see another relative, but across the aisle.

Stewart and Mo Udall had a cousin Jessica Udall Smith via their father's brother. She had a son named Gordon Smith. And he's currently the Republican Senator from Oregon, seeking reelection.

"His grandfather and my grandfather were brothers. His grandmother and my grandmother were sisters … So his mom and my dad were double first cousins, which is beyond my genealogical expertise, but there is definitely a connection there," said Mark Udall recently.

Mark Udall said he won't let a little thing like political party get in the way of pulling for his kin to win in Oregon.

"I am betting on Gordon winning that race and I look forward to serving and working with him because if we're going to bring this country forward we're going to need both Republicans and Democrats," he said.

Udall spun the old family tale of a Republican Udall years ago who was running against a Goldwater in Arizona who was a Democrat. The Goldwaters, of course, are more known for the conservatism of Barry.

"The family elders decided," Udall said, "that blood was thicker than Goldwater." And they pulled for the Republican Udall.

Bipartisanship did not end there. Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain writes fondly of learning how to be bipartisan from Mo Udall, when McCain first started serving in the House and Udall was a famous liberal Congressman.

Both McCain and his Democratic rival Barack Obama speak of the need to move beyond partisan politics. Obama has built his campaign around a mantra of "change" and McCain points to his reputation as a party-bucking maverick.

Mark Udall, who is painted by Republicans as a liberal and mocked for living in the college town of Boulder, thinks those candidates are onto something and that's why he'll support his Republican cousin.

"That's where the country is," he said. "The country is ahead of the Congress."

Still, Udall won't talk dynasty, rather focusing on a family history of public service.

"None of us ever talk about the 'd' word. Or think it even applies. There's just been a tradition in the Udall family of public service that goes back to my great-grandfather."

Beyond November

The November connection stops there, but the family connections do not. Gordon's brother Milan won't ever have to worry about being elected. He's a federal judge sitting on the 9th Circuit.

If the Udall/Smiths are the most widespread family dynasty in American politics right now , they are also the most politically schizophrenic.

Gordon Smith is a Republican and Mormon. Mark Udall has made his home in Boulder, Colorado where his religion is listed as "unaffiliated."

"I grew up with a father who was a Mormon, a mother who was a Presbyterian. I married a Catholic," Mark Udall said by way of explanation.

Tom Udall is Mormon, but also a Democrat.

The two sides stem from David K. Udall, the family patriarch, who emigrated from England and settled as Mormon in Arizona.

"This gets into interesting territory, but of course my great-grandfather practiced what was known as plural marriage or polygamy," Mark Udall said. "And one of the stories is that one of his wives was a Democrat. And the other was Republican. So that children of one line were generally Republicans and children of another line were Democrats. That's a little glib and a little simplistic, but there's certainly an element of truth in that" he said.

Family Ties in the Senate

At the Senate Historian's office they're not sure if there have been three cousins serving in the Senate at the same time. They stop keeping track after immediate family; where do you stop after cousins.

After all, as they both like to point out, presumptive Democratic nominee Obama is a distant cousin of Vice President Dick Cheney.

Three brothers served in Congress simultaneously twice in the 1800s – the Fessenden brothers of Maine and the Findlay brothers of Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Political families are nothing new in American politics. The paragon of American political dynasties is the Kennedys, who have had three senators, a president and several members of Congress. Currently, they have only a senator and a member of Congress, though it's worth noting that Massachusetts Democrat Sen. Ted Kennedy served with his brother, former New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

The Bushes, with two presidents, a former governor and a former Congressman, are the Republican equivalent. But when Bush leaves the White House in January there won't be a single Bush in elective office.

And that's really no better than the Salazar brothers of Colorado (Democrats Ken in Senate and John in the House of Representatives) or the Levin brothers of Michigan (Democrats Carl in the Senate and Sandy in the House) or the Sanchez sisters of California (Democrats Linda and Loretta both serve in the House).