Cory Gardner Catches a Primary?

Although the panelists at the DU forum last Thursday thought Republican Senator Cory Gardner was one of the most talented politicians in recent Colorado history, they felt he had been damaged by being part of the Republican Senate leadership in 2017. The health care debacle especially hurt him with moderate Colorado voters who helped him in his successful defeat of incumbent Senator Mark Udall.

But his bigger problem may be the hard right in the Republican Party, many of whom believe he failed to repeal Obamacare and are hostile to what they consider “amnesty” on DACA. The party’s Trumpites especially believe Gardner is too close to the D.C. establishment and has offered too many reservations of Trump’s tone and tweets.

Sen. Cory Gardner with Sen. John Thune (L) and Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell in the background speaks to reporters
at the Capitol in Washington,  Jan. 9, 2018 | J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Tancredo is Out. Who Are the Frontrunners for Governor? A Panel of Experts.
Sponsored by the Crossley Center for Public Opinion Research
Moderator: Floyd Ciruli, Director of the Crossley Center for Public Opinion Research at the Korbel School; Panelists: Dick Wadhams – Republican campaign manager and former State Chair; Steve Welchert – Democratic campaign manager; Melanie Layton and Zoey DeWolf –Colorado lobbyists with Colorado Legislative Services; and Vincent Carroll – Former editorial page editor for Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post. Thursday, Feb. 22