28 Facts About Bob Gardner

On January 9,2024, Bob Gardner announced that he was running for United States House of Representatives Colorado 5th Congressional District in the 2024 elections, replacing retiring Congressman Doug Lamborn.

Bob Gardner graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1976, and served as a missile launch officer in the Air Force.

Bob Gardner taught procurement and business law as a member of the Air Force Academy law faculty.

Bob Gardner served on the board of Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy, which he helped found, from 1994 to 1997 and on the board of the Colorado League of Charter Schools Legal Advocacy Fund.

Bob Gardner continues to operate a private law practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado, specializing in government affairs and contracts, business and commercial law, and campaign and election law.

From 1993 to 1997, Bob Gardner served as chair of the El Paso County Republican Party and was involved in numerous candidate and issue campaigns in the Colorado Springs area.

In 1999, Bob Gardner was treasurer for the Colorado Springs Safety Association, a group opposing a ballot measure to grant police and fire personnel collective bargaining powers.

Bob Gardner registered the political committee Citizens for Honest Government to oppose a slate of candidates during Colorado Springs' 2001 city council elections, and distributed fliers critical of four candidates; he was threatened with arrest following a dispute with a deputy city clerk regarding distributing flyers near an early voting site at city hall.

Bob Gardner helped coordinate campaigns for a slate of "reform" candidates for Colorado Springs School District 11 in 2003 who backed school vouchers.

Bob Gardner played a prominent role in the formation in 2004 of Citizens for Student Achievement and Progress, a local political committee formed to support "education reform candidates and issues" in El Paso County, In 2005, he was a spokesperson for the Colorado branch of All Children Matter, a national political group supporting school choice.

In 2004, Bob Gardner worked on the campaign for a local ballot measure to increase taxes to support The Resource Exchange, a nonprofit serving people with developmental disabilities.

Bob Gardner was a spokesman and campaign manager for Ed Jones's successful campaign for the Colorado State Senate in 2002, and his unsuccessful reelection campaign against Democratic challenger John Morse in 2006.

Bob Gardner was involved in the contested Republican primary for Colorado's 5th congressional district that year, supporting Jeff Crank over victor Doug Lamborn.

The complaint was referenced in attack ads by Lamborn's Democratic opponent, and Bob Gardner withdrew it shortly before the general election.

In 2006, Bob Gardner sought the house seat held by retiring Rep.

Bob Gardner proposed legislation to increase driver's license fees by $1 to fund an audit of driver's license office performance.

Bob Gardner unsuccessfully proposed legislation to ease restrictions on petition circulators.

Bob Gardner was among those who criticized Democratic Governor Bill Ritter, a Democrat, for signing an executive order allowing state employees collective bargaining rights.

Bob Gardner unsuccessfully attempted to add some of his bill's stiffer penalties for striking into the competing measure, which was signed into law by Gov.

Bob Gardner proposed a legislative package designed to assist Coloradoans with developmental disabilities.

Bob Gardner proposed giving state preference in contracts to companies that employ developmentally disabled individuals and was the house sponsor of a Senate bill to create a state employment program for the developmentally disabled.

Bob Gardner proposed legislation to create a college scholarship program for low-income students, and a bill to guarantee tuition rates for four-year college students, which died in a House committee.

Bob Gardner proposed a state constitutional change that would deny bail to illegal immigrants arrested for some felonies and serious drunk driving offenses.

The measure was not passed by the legislature, but Bob Gardner pledged during his re-election campaign to re-introduce it in the 2009 session.

Bob Gardner himself sought a second term in the legislature, again facing Democrat Anna Lord.

Bob Gardner ultimately won re-election, taking 58 percent of the popular vote.

Bob Gardner led Republican opposition to legislation to create designated beneficiary agreements, calling them "de facto civil unions", and to legislation strengthening regulations on oil and gas drilling, and to Colorado joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.

In May 2009, Bob Gardner was the commencement speaker at Florence High School's graduation.