Preceded by Bill Richardson Party Republican Party Name William Redmond | Profession Minister, teacher Political party Republican Succeeded by Tom Udall | |
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Born January 28, 1954 (age 70)
Chicago, Illinois ( 1954-01-28 ) Alma mater Lincoln Christian College and Seminary, Murray State University Religion Christian Churches/Churches of Christ Role Member of the United States House of Representatives Education Lincoln Christian University, Murray State University | ||
William Thomas "Bill" Redmond (born January 28, 1955) is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New Mexico.
Redmond was born in Chicago. He graduated from Lincoln Christian College and Seminary in 1979 and was ordained as a minister. Redmond later attended Murray State University, earning a degree in special education. He served in the United States Army Reserve from 1980 until 1983 as part of an Army chaplain candidate program. Redmond was a minister for the Santa Fe Christian Church and a teacher at University of New Mexico–Los Alamos.
He ran for Congress in 1996 and was badly defeated by the district's longtime Democratic incumbent, Bill Richardson. Three months after that contest, though, Richardson resigned to become United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Redmond entered the special election for the balance of Richardson's term. He was initially a huge underdog even though the Democratic candidate, state Insurance Commissioner Eric Serna, was deeply unpopular with voters in the district. Even so, a Green candidate siphoned off enough votes from Serna to allow Redmond to win by 3,000 votes.
Despite representing a heavily Democratic district, Redmond had an unshakably conservative voting record. He ran for a full term in 1998 and was soundly defeated by state Attorney General Tom Udall, who received 53% over Redmond's 43%. Proving just how heavily Democratic this district was, no Republican has made a serious bid for the 3rd since Redmond left Congress.
He won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2000 and was defeated by incumbent Jeff Bingaman 61% to 38%.
In October 1998, Democrats for Redmond described him as "truly an activist congressman" and "a man of integrity and a man who keeps his word". Reasons expressed for Democratic support for Redmond included "accomplishing more on the Land Grant issue in 16 months than any other elected official in 150 years" and introducing an amendment to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in order to bring justice to the affected uranium miners of New Mexico. He was also endorsed by the All Indian Pueblo Council for fighting for the rights of Native Americans.