Cory Gardner

Board Member

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A fifth-generation Coloradan, Cory was born and raised in Yuma, a tiny town on the Eastern Plains of Colorado where his family owned a farm equipment dealership for over 106 years.

His public service career began in the Colorado House of Representatives, where, in 2005, he served as the Minority Whip and was widely recognized for his expertise in natural resources, energy, agriculture and rural development policy.

Cory was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010.  His legislative efforts focused on renewable and traditional energy, technology and cybersecurity, rural economics and healthcare, government reform and accountability, and protecting our nation’s resources.

After two successful terms in the House, he was elected to the United States Senate in 2014, where he served until 2021.  During his time in the Senate, Cory served on the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee (serving as Chair of the Water subcommittee for two years), and chaired the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity. He also served on the Small Business and Budget Committees.  

During his tenure as Chairman of the Asia and Cybersecurity Subcommittee, Cory became a leading voice in our great power competition between China and the U.S., pushing to expand U.S. leadership in the Indo-Pacific.  His legislation, the landmark Asia Reassurance Initiative Act, created a generational framework for the U.S. approach to a free and open Indo-Pacific and has already delivered billions of dollars in our effort to develop economic opportunities, strengthen defense and promote democracy in Asia.   Cory led the effort to impose the first ever mandatory sanctions against North Korea, along with the first-of-its-kind “cyber-sanctions,” as the regime continues to be a leading abuser of human rights and its reckless advancement of nuclear weapons threatens our national security. 

Today, Senator Gardner works with a variety of companies involved in everything from solar panel manufacturing and crypto to healthcare and rockets. 

Cory graduated summa cum laude from Colorado State University and received his law degree from the University of Colorado Boulder.  He currently lives in Yuma with his wife Jaime and their three children: Alyson, Thatcher, and Caitlyn.