Editor: Why would we vote for a candidate who doesn’t even want the job? When John Hickenlooper said last year that he’s “not cut out to be a senator”, that he’d “hate” the job, and that being a senator “wouldn’t bring me any kind of satisfaction” we should have serious concerns at how effective he’d be in this crucial role.

Why would we vote for a candidate like Hickenlooper who is convicted of multiple ethics violations and that is making us pay for them? Is this the type of person we want representing our Colorado values to the nation?

His policies don’t give us hope either. For example, he’s supported more than $2 billion in higher taxes and fees during his time as governor and has said he wants to abolish fracking—greatly harming Colorado’s oil and gas industry which contributes thousands of jobs and over a billion dollars in tax revenue that goes straight to our schools, roads, and other essential services.

Cory Gardner is by far the better choice to represent us in the Senate. He’s ranked the third most bipartisan Senator in the country for his work to build consensus, practice civility, and advance legislation on pressing issues. He’s authored and passed more bills in the last six years than the rest of the Colorado delegation combined (ranking second in the whole Senate for bipartisan productivity)—that takes consenus-building leadership! He’s earned rare bipartisan respect and that leads to great results for Colorado.

Indeed, Gardner’s results show he consistently delivers for Coloradans such as his leadership on:

• The Great American Outdoors Act: the largest environmental conservation project in history!
• Obtaining much-needed ventilators, masks, testing kits, and relief funds for our state to help us better navigate the Covid pandemic.
• Increasing mental-health resources and implementing a suicide prevention bill which will help save lives.
• Obtaining $450 million for Colorado infrastructure improvement including widening the I-25 gap
• Helping our economy flourish by bringing jobs to Colorado—such as the Bureau of Land Management Headquarters and Space Command.

Reaching out across the aisle to get things done is a skill our nation desperately needs right now. Cory Gardner has a proven track-record of doing exactly this—and delivering for all four corners of Colorado in the process.

The choice is clear this election: do we want a senator who said he’s not cut out for the job, is mired in ethics violations, and doesn’t represent our diverse voices, or do we want a consensus-building leader who has proven he’ll consistently deliver for all Coloradans? Let’s re-elect Cory Gardner to continue representing Colorado with excellence.

— Linda Baumann, via letters@sentinelcolorado.com