Cory Gardner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cory Gardner
Official portrait, 2015
United States Senator from Colorado
In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2021
Preceded by	Mark Udall
Succeeded by	John Hickenlooper
Chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019
Leader	Mitch McConnell
Preceded by	Roger Wicker
Succeeded by	Todd Young
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado's 4th district
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Betsy Markey
Succeeded by	Ken Buck
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 63rd district
In office June 23, 2005 – January 2, 2011
Preceded by	Greg Brophy
Succeeded by	Jon Becker
Personal details
Born	Cory Scott Gardner (1974-08-22) August 22, 1974 (age 50) Yuma, Colorado, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Jaime Gardner
Children	3
Education	Colorado State University (BA) University of Colorado, Boulder (JD)
Signature

Cory Scott Gardner (born August 22, 1974) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Senator for Colorado from 2015 to 2021. Before that, he was a U.S. Representative for Colorado's 4th district from 2011 to 2015. He also served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011.

Gardner is a member of the Republican Party. He won his Senate seat in 2014, beating the person who held the seat before him, Mark Udall. From 2017 to 2019, he led the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which helps elect Republican senators. He was one of the few Republicans to hold a statewide elected office in Colorado after the 2018 elections. In 2020, he ran for re-election but lost to John Hickenlooper, who used to be the governor.

After leaving the Senate, Gardner has stayed involved in politics. He works with different groups and helps raise money for Republican candidates.

Early Life and School

Cory Gardner was born on August 22, 1974, in Yuma, Colorado. His parents are Cindy and John Gardner. He has a mix of Irish, German, Austrian, and English family background.

In 1997, he graduated with high honors from Colorado State University. He studied political science there and was part of the FarmHouse fraternity. While in college, he changed from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. He also worked as an intern at the Colorado State Capitol. Later, in 2001, he earned his law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law.

Early Career Steps

Before becoming a politician, Gardner worked for his family's business. He also spoke for the National Corn Growers Association. From 2002 to 2005, he worked for former U.S. Senator Wayne Allard of Colorado. He was his main legal advisor and helped with laws.

Colorado House of Representatives

Becoming a Representative

In 2005, Cory Gardner was chosen to join the Colorado House of Representatives. He was then elected for a full term in 2006. He represented District 63 in the Colorado House from 2005 until 2011.

What He Did

In 2006, Gardner suggested creating a "rainy-day fund." This fund would help protect the state's money during tough economic times. He was against raising taxes. He also helped create the Colorado Clean Energy Development Authority. This group helped fund projects for clean energy until it was stopped in 2012.

Committees He Worked On

• House Education Committee
• House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
• Legislative Council

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Cory Gardner's official photo from 2011

His Elections

2010 Election

Gardner won the Republican primary election for the 4th Congressional District. This meant he would run against the person currently holding the seat, Democrat Betsy Markey. Other candidates were also running. In a poll before the election, Gardner was ahead of Markey.

Former U.S. Congressman Tom Tancredo supported Gardner. On November 2, 2010, Gardner won the election against Markey. He received 52% of the votes, while Markey received 41%.

2012 Election

Gardner ran for re-election without anyone challenging him in the Republican primary. He then won against the Democratic candidate, Brandon Shaffer, in the main election. Gardner received 59% of the votes, and Shaffer received 37%.

This election was helped by changes made in 2010 to the district's boundaries. Cities like Fort Collins and Larimer County were removed from the district. These areas had been a big part of the 4th district for many years.

Serving in the U.S. Senate

His Elections

2014 Election

Gardner was the Republican candidate for the Senate. He won a close election against the person who was already the Senator, Mark Udall. Gardner received 965,974 votes (48%), while Udall received 916,245 votes (46%). A group called No Labels also worked to encourage people to vote for Gardner.

2020 Election

Gardner ran for re-election in 2020. During his time as a Senator, he did not hold many public meetings where people could ask him questions. In February 2017, a group of people created a cardboard cutout of Gardner, calling it "Cardboard Cory." They used it at protests and events around Colorado to show that he wasn't holding enough public meetings. This "Cardboard Cory" became a symbol of protest for four years.

Liberal groups even launched a bus tour with "Cardboard Cory" and Colorado citizens. A short film was made about "Cardboard Cory's" journey. After Gardner lost the election, one of the "Cardboard Cory" cutouts was given to the new Senator, John Hickenlooper. Gardner closely linked his re-election campaign to President Donald Trump. He lost the election to John Hickenlooper, who was the former governor.

Committees and Groups

Committee Assignments

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter with Senators, including Cory Gardner (far right), at a security summit in Singapore, 2016.

As a Senator, Cory Gardner served on several important committees:

• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
  • Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
  • Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
  • Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance
  • Subcommittee on Science and Space
• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Energy (He was the Chairman of this one)
  • Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining
  • Subcommittee on Water and Power
• Committee on Foreign Relations
  • Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights and Global Women's Issues
  • Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation
  • Subcommittee on East Asia, The Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy (He was the Chairman of this one)
  • Subcommittee on International Development, Multilateral Institutions and International Economic, Energy and Environmental Policy

Caucus Memberships

• Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus

After the Senate

Gardner speaking at a summit in Salt Lake City in 2023.

After leaving the Senate, some thought Gardner might run for governor of Colorado or for another Senate seat in 2022. However, he decided not to run. In February 2021, he became the head of the National Action Victory Fund. This group helps raise money for Republican candidates.

In June 2021, he joined the board of advisors for Michael Best Strategies, a company that helps with lobbying. In April 2022, he became the chief political affairs strategist for the Crypto Council for Innovation. In February 2023, he was hired to co-lead a group that supports Senator Tim Scott's run for President in 2024.

His Political Views

In 2019, Gardner was ranked as one of the most bipartisan senators. This means he often worked with members of both political parties. In 2017, about 41% of the bills he supported were introduced by non-Republican lawmakers.

Donald Trump

In the 2016 presidential election, Gardner first supported Donald Trump. However, after a controversial tape of Trump was released in October, Gardner said he would not vote for him. He said Trump's flaws were too great and that he showed disrespect. But in the 2020 presidential election, Gardner did support Trump.

Gardner voted with Trump's positions about 89% of the time when Trump was president. Gardner connected his 2020 re-election campaign to President Trump. This was a challenge for Gardner because while some Republicans liked Trump, many Democrats and independent voters did not.

In 2017, Gardner criticized Trump's response to a white supremacist rally. He said, "Mr. President—we must call evil by its name. These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism." He also disagreed with Trump on some trade and foreign policy issues.

In January 2018, he signed a letter asking the president to keep and update the North American Free Trade Agreement. In March 2018, he criticized Trump for putting taxes (tariffs) on aluminum and steel imports. He argued that this could lead to a trade war and hurt the American economy, especially farming.

In January 2019, Gardner was one of 11 Republican senators who voted to stop Trump from lifting sanctions against three Russian companies. Also in January 2019, after reports that Trump wanted to leave NATO, Gardner was one of eight senators to propose a law to prevent this. This law would require two-thirds approval from the Senate for a president to leave NATO.

Gardner also criticized Trump for being too soft on North Korea. In April 2019, Gardner was one of 12 senators to sign a letter asking for more funding for carbon capture technology. They argued that investing in capturing carbon emissions could create American jobs.

Money Matters (Economic Policy)

Gardner signed a pledge to not raise taxes. He supports laws that would require the United States Federal Reserve (the U.S. central bank) to be audited.

In July 2014, Gardner proposed a law to improve the Earned Income Tax Credit program. This program helps low-income workers. The law aimed to reduce fraud and use the saved money to increase the credit for working families.

Education

In February 2019, Gardner was one of 20 senators to support a law that would allow employers to help pay off their employees' student loans. This law would let employers contribute up to $5,250 towards student loans.

Energy and Environment

Gardner agrees that climate change is happening. However, he has played down how much human activity contributes to it. He has often voted against laws to reduce or control greenhouse gas emissions. He has also received a lot of money from the oil and gas industry.

Gardner supports building the Keystone Pipeline and is in favor of fracking. Soon after he became a U.S. Representative, Gardner helped pass a law to speed up clean-air permits for companies drilling offshore in Alaska. He said this would create jobs and reduce the country's reliance on foreign oil.

In 2013, he proposed a bill to allow the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review waste regulations when it chooses, instead of automatically every three years.

In 2018, Gardner and Senator Michael Bennet introduced bills to find weaknesses in the nation's electrical power grid against cyberattacks. They also suggested giving $90 million to states to create energy security plans.

In 2020, Gardner introduced the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act. This law passed and provides $900 million a year to help national parks and public lands.

Foreign Policy

In September 2016, Gardner was one of 34 senators who signed a letter to United States Secretary of State John Kerry. They asked the U.S. to strongly enforce a United Nations resolution. They wanted the U.S. to stop Russia's airstrikes in Syria, which they believed were not in America's interest.

In September 2017, Gardner supported the Israel Anti-Boycott Act. This bill would make it a federal crime for Americans to encourage or join boycotts against Israel.

In April 2018, Gardner was one of eight Republican senators to sign a letter about a United Nations report. The report showed that North Korea was avoiding sanctions with help from Russia and China. The senators expressed "deep concern" and called for a strong response from the U.S.

In September 2018, Gardner was one of five senators to sign a letter to United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. They urged him to use more security measures for the State Department's computer systems. They also asked how the department would improve its security after being labeled "high risk" for cyber-readiness.

In December 2018, Gardner voted against ending U.S. military support for the Saudi Arabian-led group in the Yemen war. He said that Saudi Arabia is important for protecting Israel. In March 2019, he voted against the resolution again, saying it would help Iran. In January 2019, Gardner helped introduce a law to put sanctions on the government of President of Syria Bashar al-Assad. This law would also strengthen American cooperation with Israel and Jordan.

Gun Policy

Gardner has stated that he is against gun control. He believes that actions to prevent gun violence should not go against constitutional rights.

In 2016, Gardner voted against a proposal that would have banned gun sales to anyone on the terrorist watch list. He also opposed a change that would require background checks for guns bought at gun shows and online.

Health Care

Gardner is against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare). He has voted to repeal it.

Gardner was part of a group of 13 Republican senators who wrote a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. He voted for all versions of this plan that came up for a vote in the Senate. In September 2017, when Republicans tried again to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Gardner warned other Republican lawmakers that failing to pass any repeal would upset big donors and grassroots supporters.

In January 2019, Gardner was one of six senators to support the Health Insurance Tax Relief Act. This law delayed a health insurance tax for two years.

In 2011, Gardner voted for the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act. This law says that health plans cannot force a provider to offer a service if it goes against their religious beliefs.

Gardner voted for the 2012 Ryan budget plan. This plan would have started the process of making Medicare (a health program for older Americans) more private.

In October 2019, Gardner was one of 27 senators to sign a letter asking for the passage of the Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence (CHIME) Act. This act provides funding for community health centers. The senators warned that if the funding stopped, many health centers would close, jobs would be lost, and millions of Americans would lose health care.

In 2013, Gardner announced he would introduce a bill to stop executives of state health care exchanges from getting bonuses.

Immigration

In 2019, Politico described Gardner as usually conservative, but more moderate on immigration. In 2019, the National Immigration Forum, a group that supports immigrants, honored him and Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durbin for their bipartisan work on immigration.

In August 2014, Gardner voted against a bill that would have ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. He has said he supports immigration reform that includes a guest worker program and better border security.

Gardner criticized Trump's 2017 order that banned travel to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries. He said that while he supports stronger screening, a "blanket travel ban goes too far." He also believed that legal residents should be allowed to enter the country.

In June 2018, Gardner was one of 13 Republican senators to sign a letter asking for a pause on the Trump administration's policy of separating families at the border. They wanted Congress to have time to create a new law.

In March 2019, Gardner voted for Trump's declaration of a national emergency to build a wall on the southern border. This allowed Trump to use money from other government areas for the wall. Most members of both the House and Senate voted to overturn this declaration. The Denver Post took back its earlier support for Gardner because of his vote on this issue.

Internet and Technology

Gardner is against net neutrality. He called the rules for it "a brazen abuse of power." On May 16, 2018, he voted against a bill that would have brought back net neutrality.

In March 2017, Gardner voted for the Broadband Consumer Privacy Proposal. This law removed rules that protected internet users' privacy. It allowed internet companies to sell customers' browsing history without their permission.

In May 2020, Gardner voted for a change that would require federal agencies to get court orders to collect web search data from American citizens. This was under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

LGBTQ Policy

Gardner is against same-sex marriage. In response to the 2015 Supreme Court decision that made same-sex marriage legal across the U.S., Gardner said he still believed marriage should only be between a man and a woman. However, he accepted that the courts had made their decision and it must be followed.

In 2007, when he was a state representative, Gardner voted against a law that would allow gay and lesbian couples in Colorado to adopt children.

In 2012, Gardner voted to renew the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA). This law expanded protections for Native Americans, immigrants, and gay and lesbian people.

In 2015, Gardner voted against giving same-sex partners access to Social Security and veterans benefits earned by their spouses.

Judiciary

After the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September 2020, Gardner said he would vote to confirm a "qualified" person to replace her. He did not say if he supported holding a vote before the November presidential election. In 2016, after Justice Antonin Scalia died, Gardner had said the Senate should wait to confirm justices so close to a presidential election.

Mental Health

Gardner supported a bill to create a new national three-digit phone number (988) for mental health emergencies and suicide prevention. This number is like 911 but for mental health crises. The bill also requires a plan for suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth, minorities, and people in rural areas, among other groups at high risk. The bill passed the U.S. Senate unanimously and was signed into law in October 2020.

Election History

Images for kids

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  Official portrait, 2015

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  Cory Gardner's signature

See also

In Spanish: Cory Gardner para niños