Congressman-elect Cory Gardner (CO-4) has already moved from National Republican Congressional Committee “Young Gun” to one of the Republican representatives tapped for recognition as part of the “transition team” that will play a role in the run up to taking control of the House, but also identified as one of the “rising stars” that will most likely be groomed for eventual House leadership in subsequent Congressional sessions.
Battle ’10 interviewed Gardner following his election last week, and will have that interview posted tomorrow. First, a look at Gardner’s elevation to the transition team, as well as the things the newly minted Congressman should expect in coming months, from a logistical standpoint–where to live, who to hire–but also what to expect politically, as the jousting for Gardner’s support on House leadership, committee appointments, and legislative agenda begins in earnest.
From the House GOP Majority Transition Office:
Walden Announces Members of Majority Transition Team
Washington, D.C. – As Republicans prepare for a new majority in the House of Representatives, Transition Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) today announced the members of a transition team who will help ensure the House is ready to act right away on the priorities of the American people in January. Members of this team will work to implement the congressional reforms included in the Pledge to America and look at additional ways to make Congress more transparent, cost-efficient, and accountable to the people. Ready to get to work, the transition team will hold its first meeting this evening with further meetings scheduled for Tuesday. Upon announcement of the team members, Rep. Walden released the following statement.
“Americans have sent a clear message that Congress must be run differently, and this team is ready to prove that we’re listening,” said Rep. Walden. “Our transition team includes proven leaders who will meet our challenge to restore the House of Representatives as a great deliberative body that respects the will of the American people. The diverse mix of experience, backgrounds, and regions represented by this group will help to ensure this process brings meaningful reform to how Washington does business. Each one of these members accepted this responsibility with an encouraging enthusiasm, and I’m thankful to all of them for serving.”
Members of the GOP Majority Transition Team
Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-1), Rep. John Campbell (CA-48), Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (WV-2), Rep. Jason Chaffetz (UT-3), Rep. Tom Cole (OK-4), Rep. Mike Conaway (TX-11), Rep. David Dreier (CA-26), Rep.-elect Cory Gardner (CO-4), Rep. Bob Goodlatte (VA-6), Rep. Doc Hastings (WA-4), Rep. Jeb Hensarling (TX-5), Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-4), Rep.-elect Adam Kinzinger (IL-11), Rep. Buck McKeon (CA-25), Rep. Candice Miller (MI-10), Rep.-elect Martha Roby (AL-2), Rep. Mike Rogers (MI-8), Rep. Paul Ryan (WI-1), Rep.-elect Tim Scott (SC-1), Rep. Pete Sessions (TX-32), Rep. Pat Tiberi (OH-12)
Gardner unseated incumbent Democrat Betsy Markey by almost 11 percentage points to win election to the U.S. House of Representatives. He’ll be sworn in at the beginning of January 2011, and for the next two months, he’ll be hiring staff, finding office space in Washington and Colorado and getting to know other members of Congress, including the dozens of his fellow Republican freshmen elected in one of the greatest waves in U.S. history.
He’ll also be courted by veteran Republicans seeking his support for leadership candidates, as well as potential Republican presidential candidates. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, widely expected to make a presidential run in 2008, called Gardner on election night to congratulate him.
And then there are intensely personal decisions for the 36-year-old congressman-in-waiting, his wife Jaime, and their 6-year-old daughter, Alyson. Do they all move to Washington or maintain the family home in Yuma?
Former Rep. Bob Schaffer (R-CO) represented the same Congressional District from 1997-2003, and offered outsiders–all the rest of us who weren’t elected–an exhaustive glimpse inside the next stage of the “campaign”:
“Congratulations, congressman! Boy that sounds good doesn’t it? Congressman Gardner? You ran a great race and you’ll be an outstanding member of Congress. Say, by the way, I’ve got the chairmanship of (fill in the blank) almost in the bag, but I wanted to make sure you’re on my team. You know, I really enjoyed campaigning with you out in Lovemont — was that the name of that little place? — and I’m glad my visit helped you win your race. When you get back to D.C., I’ll have my chief of staff get in touch with you to set up a meeting right away to map out a plan for how you and I are going to work together. Okay? Oh, again, congratulations to you and your wife Jane (staffer interrupts)…I mean Jamie.”
Keep in mind, incumbent GOP members of Congress have been working on these inter-party cam-paigns for months, sometimes years. Cory will be negotiating them next week.
There will be no rest after Tuesday night’s contest. Mr. Gardner just finished a marathon and now has to gear up for a different kind of campaign. He’ll be contending with, among and against the nation’s best campaigners. […]
Gov. John Hickenlooper, despite his pretensions for being bipartisan, will devote enormous resources and energy to gerrymandering the 4th Congressional District (based upon the 2010 Census) by pulling half of Boulder County into the new district — possibly even drawing Yuma (Gardner’s home) out of it. Mr. Gardner will need to “lawyer up” to survive this part of the campaign, too. [emphasis added]