Democratic Gov. Roy Romer, left, and junior Cory Gardner, at an education funding rally at Yuma High School in 1992 that Gardner helped organize. Gardner is now running for the U.S. Senate. (Yuma Pioneer)
Republican Senate hopeful Cory Gardner can’t recall voting for a single Democrat although he was one for eight years.
Yuma County election records show Gardner registered as a Democrat in 1992 and switched his voter registration in 2000 to Republican. If, indeed, he never voted for a Democrat that means Gardner:
* Didn’t vote for Democratic Gov. Roy Romer’s re-election bid in 1994 although Gardner has said one of his proudest moments as a Yuma High School student ( was getting the governor to come talk to students in 1992 about the lack of education funding for rural schools. A photo in the Yuma Pioneer of the event begins with “Future politician?” in reference to the junior’s successful effort in attracting attention to the situation.
* Didn’t vote for former Fort Collins Mayor Susan Kirkpatrick for Congress in 1998, although he seconded her nomination at the Democratic 4th Congressional District assembly that year. Kirkpatrick said never at any time during that election did he indicate he was no longer backing her.
Gardner and his Senate opponent, Democrat Mark Udall, whether they recalled ever voting for someone of the opposite party. Udall said not in the last 10 years, while Gardner said, “No.” He did recall in another part of the debate his high school education rally.
Among those who laughed at Gardner’s answer was Pueblo County Commissioner Sal Pace, a Democrat who served with Gardner in the state legislature.
“Sure, Cory Gardner never voted for a Democrat, just like he never sponsored a personhood bill,” Pace said, referring to has been hit with repeatedly on the campaign trailer.
The Denver Post earlier this year confirmed that Gardner in 1998 told a Democratic state Senate candidate who expected him to run her campaign he likely was going in a different direction. Democrats at the time speculated that Gardner, who had made it clear he wanted to run for office some day, realized he couldn’t get elected from the conservative Eastern Plains with a “D” behind his name.
“These are people who really didn’t know me growing up and they want to criticize a decision I made when I realized the Democratic Party doesn’t represent me or my values or what I believe this country to be,” .
He added by the time he graduated from the University of Colorado law school in 2001, he was president of the campus Federalist Society.”
