State of Colorado
Honoree, 2019 Courage to Lead Award
Senator Cory Gardner is a fifth-generation Coloradan who was born and raised in Yuma, a small town on the Eastern Plains of Colorado where his family has owned a farm implement dealership for over a century. He graduated summa cum laude from Colorado State University and received his law degree from the University of Colorado Boulder.
He began serving in the Colorado House of Representatives in 2005 where he spent time as the Minority Whip and became known for his expertise in natural resource and agriculture policy. Cory was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010.
In the Senate, Gardner serves as a member of the Senate Energy & Natural Resource Committee, on the Foreign Relations Committee, and the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. He also serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.
In 2019, Gardner was ranked the 5th most bipartisan Senator by The Lugar Center for his work in the 115th Congress to build consensus, elevate the tenor of debate, practice civility, and advance legislation on pressing issues.
He lives in Yuma with his wife Jaime and their three children: Alyson, Thatcher, and Caitlyn.