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Beauprez prepares to enter '06 race for governor

John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 30, 2005 at midnight

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What little mystery remained about Rep. Bob Beauprez's plans to run for governor in 2006 evaporated Friday as the GOP congressman made it clear that he intends to enter the race.

Beauprez stopped short of making a formal announcement, but confirmed that he is putting together a team for the campaign to succeed Gov. Bill Owens, who is term-limited.

"We're moving forward," Beauprez said. "I've been fairly candid that I don't plan on taking any steps backwards.

"It's kind of premature to do any kind of what I call the balloon drop announcement. I think the general public feels like they've just got over with an election."

Besides Beauprez, University of Denver President Marc Holtzman has begun to raise money for a campaign and former Congressman Scott McInnis has also been mentioned as a possible candidate among Republicans.

Potential Democratic candidates include former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter; Rutt Bridges, founder of the Bighorn Center on Public Policy; and former Lt. Gov. Gail Schoettler, who narrowly lost to Owens in 1998.

"This will be a competitive race," Beauprez predicted. "If (a candidate) plans on winning a race - and I do - they have to begin putting together a team."

GOP political consultant Katy Atkinson predicted Beauprez will be a strong candidate.

"I think Bob Beauprez has a chance of being the Republican equivalent of (Democratic U.S. Sen.) Ken Salazar in that he doesn't seem to have any enemies out there," Atkinson said.

Democrats who faced him in the congressional elections still like him, she said. "The opposition doesn't breathe fire when you mention his name."

Beauprez represents the 7th District, which includes parts of Adams, Arapahoe and Jefferson counties. He narrowly won the seat in 2002, defeating Democrat Mike Feeley by 121 votes.