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Robert S. Gardner (born c. 1954) is a legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. A United States Air Force veteran and attorney, Gardner was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006. From 2006 to 2012, he represented House District 21, which encompasses western El Paso County and northeastern Fremont County. In the 2016 general election, Gardner was elected to represent Senate District 12. On January 9, 2024, 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. Biography Gardner graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1976, and served as a missile launch officer in the Air Force. While an Air Force officer, Gardner earned a J.D. from the University of Texas in 1981 with honors and a L.L.M. from George Washington University Law School in 1986, specializing in government procurement law. After earning his law degree, Gardner served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. He also taught procurement and business law as a member of the Air Force Academy law faculty. After leaving active duty in 1989 at the rank of lieutenant colonel, Gardner became an attorney in private practice, specializing in government contract law, representing public contractors and charter schools. He 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. He 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. The law firm website is www.rsglaw.net. Gardner is divorced; he has two adult children: Bob Jr. and Laura. Political activism From 1993 to 1997, 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, Gardner was treasurer for the Colorado Springs Safety Association, a group opposing a ballot measure to grant police and fire personnel collective bargaining powers. 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. Gardner helped coordinate campaigns for a slate of "reform" candidates for Colorado Springs School District 11 in 2003 who backed school vouchers. He 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, 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. During the campaign, he submitted, for anonymous publication in voter guides, statements opposing the tax increase including: "The families of people with mental retardation, [should] not expect the government to help," and "By funding programs to care for these children, we are encouraging irresponsibility." Others working on the campaign justified the statements as a campaign tactic designed to stir support for the tax measure. Gardner was also 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. During Jones' 2002 campaign, he called for an internal investigation of a police officer who told to news media that Jones had been seen at a bar where drugs were known to be sold. Gardner was also co-manager of Sen. Ron May's re-election campaign in 2004. and has served as attorney for local Republican candidates on multiple occasions. Gardner was also involved in the contested Republican primary for Colorado's 5th congressional district that year, supporting Jeff Crank over victor Doug Lamborn. During the general election, Gardner filed a complaint against Lamborn, accusing his campaign of coordinating illegally with 527 organizations. The complaint was referenced in attack ads by Lamborn's Democratic opponent, and Gardner withdrew it shortly before the general election. Lamborn was cleared of wrongdoing by the Federal Election Commission. Legislative career 2006 election In 2006, Gardner sought the house seat held by retiring Rep. Keith King; he faced no opposition for the Republican nomination. Gardner won his seat in the Colorado House of Representatives in the 2006 general election, defeating Democrat Anna Lord with about 59% of the popular vote. 2007 legislative session During the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Gardner sat on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Local Government Committee. The newly elected Rep. Bob Gardner joined Rep. Cory Gardner in the state house, leading to the need to distinguish them as "Gardner, B." and "Gardner, C." in house roll calls. During his first session, Gardner was noted for his passionate speeches on the House floor. Gardner proposed legislation to increase driver's license fees by $1 to fund an audit of driver's license office performance. After the bill was defeated in committee, Gardner led a bipartisan effort to request the Legislative Audit Committee to investigate the matter. Gardner also unsuccessfully proposed legislation to ease restrictions on petition circulators. Gardner introduced legislation — passed and signed into law — to provide a full-time judge for Fremont County and to require that victims of crimes be informed of attempts by offenders to overturn convictions or halt sex offender registration. Following the legislative session, Gardner served on the legislature's interim committee on Long-Term Care Health Care Services and Support to Persons with Developmental Disabilities. In November 2007, Gardner, along with Rep. Amy Stephens was named Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce legislator of the year. 2008 legislative session In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Gardner sat on the House Finance Committee, and the House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee. Gardner was among those who criticized Democratic Governor Bill Ritter, a Democrat, for signing an executive order allowing state employees collective bargaining rights. In response, Gardner introduced a bill that would have prohibited all public employees in Colorado from striking; his bill was voted down in committee, but a narrower measure prohibiting state employees from striking ad.... Discover the Bob Gardner popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Bob Gardner books.