Bob Gardner - Biography - Political Activism

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 also helped coordinate campaigns for a slate of "reform" candidates for Colorado Springs School District 11 in 2003 who backed school vouchers. Gardner also 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, Gardner was also 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 that were described as "imflammatory," including: "The families of people with mental retardation, 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.