Cory Gardner

Cory Gardner
United States Congress · Public domain · source
Name	Cory Gardner
Office	United States Senator
State	Colorado
Term start	January 3, 2015
Term end	January 3, 2021
Predecessor	Mark Udall
Successor	John Hickenlooper
Birth date	August 22, 1974
Birth place	Yuma, Colorado
Party	Republican Party
Spouse	Jaime Gardner
Alma mater	Colorado State University, University of Colorado Law School

Cory Gardner is an American politician and attorney who served as the junior United States Senator from Colorado from 2015 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously represented Colorado's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. Gardner's tenure in public office included work on energy, agriculture, and judiciary issues and culminated in a high-profile 2020 reelection campaign.

Early life and education

Gardner was born in Yuma, Colorado and raised in the state's rural eastern plains near Haxtun, Colorado. He graduated from Yuma High School before attending Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado where he earned a Bachelor of Arts. Gardner later received a Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado Law School in Boulder, Colorado. During his formative years he worked on local campaigns and clerked for state-level officials linked to the Colorado General Assembly.

Early political career

After law school, Gardner served as a staffer for members of the Colorado General Assembly and worked for the U.S. House of Representatives in roles tied to policy and constituent services. He was an aide to Representative Scott McInnis and later to Representative Dan Schaefer, gaining experience with agricultural and energy portfolios important to Colorado. Gardner also worked in private practice and for lobbying interests connected to the National Federation of Independent Business and regional trade groups before launching his own campaigns for elective office.

U.S. House of Representatives

In 2010, Gardner ran for the 4th congressional district seat vacated by Representative Betsy Markey and won the general election amid a national swing toward the Republicans. As a member of the United States House of Representatives, he served on committees addressing Energy and Commerce and Agriculture, supporting legislation tied to oil and gas development in the Wattenberg Gas Field region, agricultural subsidies affecting producers in eastern Colorado, and regulatory changes promoted by proponents of Keystone XL pipeline. Gardner aligned with leadership figures such as John Boehner and later Kevin McCarthy on key procedural votes while also sponsoring bills favored by rural constituencies, engaging with stakeholders including National Cattlemen's Beef Association and state-level farm bureaus.

U.S. Senate

Gardner announced a Senate campaign to challenge incumbent Senator Mark Udall in 2014 and narrowly won in a contest that drew attention from national committees including the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. In the Senate, he served on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Gardner was involved in confirmations handled by the United States Senate Judiciary Committee and participated in legislative negotiations with figures such as Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, and Lindsey Graham. His Senate activities included support for export initiatives tied to Port of New Orleans trade routes, votes on nominations like those of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, and sponsorship of bills addressing western water compacts and public land management intersecting with agencies like the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service.

Political positions and legislative record

Gardner positioned himself as a pro-business, energy-friendly conservative aligned with the Republican Main Street Partnership and occasional bipartisan coalitions such as the Problem Solvers Caucus-adjacent groupings. On judicial nominations, he frequently voted with Senate Republicans to confirm nominees put forth by Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, including high-profile confirmations to the United States Supreme Court. Gardner supported tax reform legislation advanced by leaders including Paul Ryan and Steve Mnuchin while opposing large-scale expansions of federal healthcare programs championed by figures like Nancy Pelosi and Bernie Sanders. He advocated for increased domestic energy production with favorable positions for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry and backed trade measures supported by United States Trade Representative offices to open markets for Colorado agricultural exports. On immigration, Gardner voted for bipartisan proposals such as the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act-style measures in earlier years but later aligned with more restrictive approaches favored by members such as Tom Cotton. His environmental record drew criticism from groups like Sierra Club and Environmental Defense Fund while earning praise from resource extraction stakeholders.

2020 election and post-Senate career

Gardner faced John Hickenlooper in the 2020 Senate election, a contest that became a focal point for national partisan resources directed by entities including the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee. He was defeated as Democrats expanded their representation in the United States Senate that cycle. After leaving office, Gardner joined private-sector roles with ties to energy and lobbying interests, entering positions connected to firms operating in Washington, D.C. and the Denver, Colorado area and participating in advisory boards that interact with agencies such as the Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior. He has remained active in political networks associated with former Senate colleagues including Roy Blunt and Pat Toomey and appears regularly in media outlets covering national and state politics.

Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:United States senators from Colorado Category:Republican Party (United States) politicians