Cory Gardner
Encyclopedia
Cory Scott Gardner is the Republican U.S. Representative
for Colorado's 4th congressional district
. In 2010, he defeated incumbent Democrat Betsy Markey
. He was formerly a member of the Colorado House of Representatives.
with a B.A.
in political science
. He went to Law School at the University of Colorado
to earn his Juris Doctor
. Gardner served as General Counsel
and Legislative Director for former U.S. Senator Wayne Allard
of Colorado.
, who went on to be State Senator. Gardner became the House Minority Whip in January 2007. The Denver Post
hailed Gardner as “the GOP Idea Man”. He was named one of the Top 40 young Republican lawmakers by the magazine Rising Tide
.
. Also running were American Constitutional Party nominee Doug Aden and Independent Ken "Wasko" Waszkiewicz. On November 2, 2010, Gardner won in the 4th Congressional District, defeating Markey.
Gardner is one of the GOP Young Guns. He was endorsed by former U.S. Congressman Tom Tancredo
. In an early September poll, Gardner was up 50% to 39%.
Gardner also introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce wasteful spending and duplicative programs. “The amount of waste perpetrated by the federal government is mind boggling and has gone largely unchecked for far too long – enough is enough – we need to dig into why there are so many different programs doing the same thing and whether or not they need to be eliminated or combined,” Gardner said in a statement on his Congressional website.
Gardner voted for the Ryan budget plan, derided by many Democrats as ending Medicare as it is currently known.
Taxes
Gardner is a signer of Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for Colorado's 4th congressional district
Colorado's 4th congressional district
Colorado's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in the eastern part of the state, the district encompasses most of the rural Eastern Plains as well as the larger cities of Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland and Longmont along Colorado's Front...
. In 2010, he defeated incumbent Democrat Betsy Markey
Betsy Markey
Elizabeth Helen “Betsy” Markey is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
. He was formerly a member of the Colorado House of Representatives.
Early life, education, and early political career
Gardner graduated summa cum laude from Colorado State UniversityColorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. He went to Law School at the University of Colorado
University of Colorado School of Law
The University of Colorado Law School is one of the professional graduate schools within the University of Colorado System. It is a public law school, with more than 500 students attending and working toward a Juris Doctor or Master of Law. The Wolf Law Building Located in Boulder, Colorado, and...
to earn his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
. Gardner served as General Counsel
General Counsel
A general counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. The term is most used in the United States...
and Legislative Director for former U.S. Senator Wayne Allard
Wayne Allard
Alan Wayne Allard is a member of the Republican Party, and was a United States Senator from Colorado. He did not seek re-election in 2008.-Early life:...
of Colorado.
Colorado legislature
In 2006, he was elected to the 63rd district, which was vacated by Republican Greg BrophyGreg Brophy
Greg Brophy is a Republican member of the Colorado Senate, representing the 1st Senate District since his appointment in June 2005. Previously he was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005.-Early life and career:...
, who went on to be State Senator. Gardner became the House Minority Whip in January 2007. The Denver Post
The Denver Post
-Ownership:The Post is the flagship newspaper of MediaNews Group Inc., founded in 1983 by William Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder. MediaNews is today one of the nation's largest newspaper chains, publisher of 61 daily newspapers and more than 120 non-daily publications in 13 states. MediaNews...
hailed Gardner as “the GOP Idea Man”. He was named one of the Top 40 young Republican lawmakers by the magazine Rising Tide
Rising Tide
Rising Tide may refer to:*Rising Tide North America, a group based in North America*The Rising Tide , a 2000 album by Sunny Day Real Estate*The Rising Tide , a 1949 Canadian documentary film...
.
2010 election
Gardner won the Republican primary to challenge Democratic incumbent Betsy MarkeyBetsy Markey
Elizabeth Helen “Betsy” Markey is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
. Also running were American Constitutional Party nominee Doug Aden and Independent Ken "Wasko" Waszkiewicz. On November 2, 2010, Gardner won in the 4th Congressional District, defeating Markey.
Gardner is one of the GOP Young Guns. He was endorsed by former U.S. Congressman Tom Tancredo
Tom Tancredo
Thomas Gerard "Tom" Tancredo is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, as a Republican...
. In an early September poll, Gardner was up 50% to 39%.
Tenure
Since taking office, Gardner has introduced a bill that would make it easier for oil companies to drill offshore in Alaska, creating over 50,000 jobs and producing 1 million barrels of oil a day. . The House passed Gardner's bill by a vote of 253 to 166 with bipartisan support June 22, 2011.Gardner also introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce wasteful spending and duplicative programs. “The amount of waste perpetrated by the federal government is mind boggling and has gone largely unchecked for far too long – enough is enough – we need to dig into why there are so many different programs doing the same thing and whether or not they need to be eliminated or combined,” Gardner said in a statement on his Congressional website.
Gardner voted for the Ryan budget plan, derided by many Democrats as ending Medicare as it is currently known.
Taxes
Gardner is a signer of Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and CommerceUnited States House Committee on Energy and CommerceThe Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
- Subcommittee on Energy and Power
- Subcommittee on Environment and EconomyUnited States House Energy Subcommittee on Environment and EconomyThe Energy Subcommittee on Environment and Economy is a subcommittee within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Prior to 2009, it was known as the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials, and was part of the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment from 2009 to 2011...
- Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsUnited States House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsThe U.S. House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is a subcommittee within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.-Jurisdiction:...
- Republican Study CommitteeRepublican Study CommitteeThe Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
Electoral history
External links
- Congressman Cory Gardner official U.S. House site
- Cory Gardner for Congress official campaign site