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Gardner elected to GOP leadership role in U.S. Senate

Gardner

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner will lead the GOP’s national effort to put more Republicans in the Senate.

The Senate Republican Conference on Wednesday elected its new leadership for the incoming 115th Congress, the first since 2007 with a GOP majority in both houses of Congress and control of the White House.

Gardner was elected chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the party’s campaign arm tasked with providing budget and strategic support to Republican Senate races across the country.

“I’m excited about this new leadership role and the opportunity it presents to ensure Coloradans’ voices are heard, and elevate issues that are important to the West,” Gardner said. “I have longstated that Colorado needs less of Washington and Washington needs more of Colorado, and the chairmanship provides an avenue to further bring Coloradans’ concerns to our nation’s capital.”

Gardner says he hopes to use his new position to further the “Four Corners plan” that he campaigned on in 2014, focusing on policies promoting the economy, expanding energy resources and improving college affordability.

One-third of the Senate will be up for re-election in the middle of Donald Trump’s term. Though the national map in 2018 generally favors Republicans, with Democrats defending seats in several states won by Trump last week, the incumbent president’s party has historically underperformed during midterm elections.

Gardner will replace Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, who has held the position since 2014. He is so far the only new member of the Senate’s leadership team, with Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and John Thune of South Dakota among those re-elected, maintaining their respective roles as majority leader and majority whip.

Alejandro Alvarez, a recent graduate of American University, is an intern for The Durango Herald. Reach him at aalvarez@durangoherald.com and follow him on Twitter @aletweetsnews.



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