Cory Scott Gardner[1] (born August 22, 1974) is an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Colorado from 2015 to 2021.

He sits on the board of Michael Best Strategies, is the Chief Political Affairs Strategist for the Crypto Council for Innovation, and has remained active in fundraising for Republican candidates.

[7] He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1997 from Colorado State University, where he was a member of the FarmHouse fraternity.

[8] Prior to public office, Gardner worked at his family's implement business and served as spokesman for the National Corn Growers Association.

[12] In 2006, Gardner proposed legislation to create a rainy-day fund to help protect the state from future economic downturns.

His proposal relied on money made available by Referendum C—which allowed state revenue caps to be exceeded for five years[13]—for future budget emergencies.

[15][16] Committee assignments Gardner won the Republican primary in the 4th Congressional District to challenge Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey.

Gardner ran unopposed in the Republican primary before defeating Democratic nominee Brandon Shaffer 59%–37% in the general election.

[37][38][39] In February 2021, Gardner became the chair of the National Action Victory Fund, a PAC that raises money for Republican candidates.

[5] In June 2021, five months after leaving office, he joined the board of advisers of Michael Best Strategies, a national lobbying firm.

[41] In February 2023, Gardner was hired to co-chair a super PAC alongside longtime GOP operative Rob Collins by South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, which would later support his run for President in the 2024 United States presidential election.

[53] According to The Denver Post, "Gardner conceded that with his new position on personhood, he might be accused of flip-flopping simply to make himself more palatable to statewide voters.

As for his change of position, voters in Colorado should know Gardner still supports a federal bill that would prompt the same concerns over birth control as the state measure he says he rejects on the same grounds.

"[55] In 2014, Gardner called for over-the-counter access to oral contraceptives and said the birth control pill would be safer and cheaper if it was available over the counter.

[58] In October, however, after the release of the Access Hollywood tape, Gardner said he would not vote for him, whom he called "a candidate whose flaws are beyond mere moral shortcomings and who shows a disgust for American character and a disdain for dignity unbecoming of the Presidency.

[64][65] In January 2018, he signed a letter urging the president to preserve and modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement.

[67] In June 2019 Gardner again expressed concern over Trump's threats to impose tariffs on goods entering the United States from overseas.

"[65] In January 2019, Gardner was one of 11 Republican senators to vote to advance legislation intended to prevent Trump from lifting sanctions against 3 Russian companies.

[80][81] Shortly after taking office in the House of Representatives, Gardner passed legislation to speed up clean-air permits for companies engaged in offshore drilling in Alaska, saying it would create jobs and reduce dependence on foreign oil.

[82][83] In 2013, he introduced a bill to allow the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review solid waste regulations at its discretion, rather than automatically every 3 years.

[94] He said that Saudi Arabia "is a country in a critical part of the region that has played a key role in our work protecting Israel.

[96] In January 2019, Gardner joined Rubio, Jim Risch, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in introducing legislation to impose sanctions on the government of President of Syria Bashar al-Assad and bolster American cooperation with Israel and Jordan.

[98][99] In 2016, Gardner voted against the Feinstein Amendment, which sought to ban gun sales to anyone who had been placed on the terrorist watch list for the last five years.

"[113] In June 2018, Gardner was one of 13 Republican senators to sign a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions requesting a moratorium on the Trump administration family separation policy while Congress drafted legislation.

[122][123] In May 2020, Gardner voted for an amendment co-sponsored by Senators Steve Daines and Ron Wyden that would have required federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies to obtain federal court warrants when collecting web search engine data from American citizens, nationals, or residents under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

"[126] In 2007, then a state representative, Gardner voted against legislation to allow Colorado gay and lesbian couples to adopt children.

[127][128] In 2012, Gardner voted to renew the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA), which reauthorized the bill and expanded protections for Native Americans, immigrants, and gays and lesbians.

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

After the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September 2020, Gardner said he would vote to confirm a "qualified" nominee to replace her.

In addition to funding the new number, the bill requires a strategy report for suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth, minorities, and rural individuals, among other high-risk groups.