Edward Joseph Gardner (August 7, 1898 – December 7, 1950) was an American businessman, World War I veteran and politician who served one term as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio's third congressional district from 1945 to 1947.

After the war, he took a job as district controller of a food distributing company at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for four years and then worked as a public accountant at Hamilton, Ohio, from 1924 until his death in 1950.

In 1926, Gardner was elected to the Hamilton city council serving as president and vice mayor for two years.

During his campaign Edward J. Gardner told fellow Democrats that he would work honestly and ceaselessly for employment of returning servicemen.

"We must make a positive determination that there shall be jobs and wages, that there should be security from unemployment, thereby setting a market for production," he said.