Beauprez picks Rowland

Governor candidate names Mesa official as running mate; choice pleases GOP conservatives

Stuart Steers, Rocky Mountain News

Published August 15, 2006 at midnight

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Congressman Bob Beauprez turned to the Western Slope to find a running mate, asking Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland to join him Monday in his quest for the governorship.

In nominating Rowland as lieutenant governor, Beauprez chose a Republican who is an opponent of abortion and Referendum C. Some saw that as a sign that Beauprez was seeking to bolster his credentials as a "Colorado conservative," but Beauprez said he went looking for someone with the ability to lead.

"She's a woman of passion and integrity," Beauprez told a crowd of dozens of supporters on the west steps of the state Capitol. "Janet has racked up an impressive record."

Rowland, who was elected commissioner in 2004, worked for a decade for the Mesa County Department of Human Services, investigating cases of child abuse and neglect. She said that experience shaped her perspective.

"I've been driven by a passion for families," she said. "We must find more innovative ways to solve problems."

Rowland co-founded a nonprofit organization in Mesa County called Strong Families, Safe Kids to help prevent child abuse.

She also took a leadership role on the county's methamphetamine task force, which began in early 2004 to seek answers to the drug-abuse epidemic. Rowland was instrumental in enlisting area churches as part of a "compassionate community" approach, which included prayer circles and education about meth use.

Coming from the Western Slope, Rowland said she understands Colorado's rural areas.

A 43-year-old mother of two, Rowland introduced her husband, Lance, and noted that her son had the good sense to be born a week before the start of hunting season.

"Hunting is pretty important in our household," she said.

Rowland came under fire Monday for comments she made on the Colorado State of Mind program last spring, comparing homosexuality to "bestiality, polygamy and incest." She made the statement during a discussion of gay marriage.

The Beauprez campaign said Rowland now regrets making the comments.

But a spokesman for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter said the comments reveal Rowland as an extremist.

"It shows how intolerant, insensitive and ultraconservative the congressman and his running mate are," said Evan Dreyer.

Not long after Beauprez introduced Rowland at the Capitol, Ritter criticized Rowland for her opposition to Ref C, the 2005 ballot measure that allowed the state to spend several billion dollars that otherwise would have been refunded to taxpayers. Ritter said that if Ref C had failed, programs that protect children in Colorado would have been devastated.

Ritter appeared at the secretary of state's office to register for the election with his running mate, Barbara O'Brien, former president of the Colorado Children's Campaign.

O'Brien said Ref C had changed the lives of hundreds of disabled children who were on waiting lists for state services.

Rowland said she thought there were better solutions to the state budget crisis than Ref C.

"I don't think it got to the root of the problem," Rowland said. "There's creative solutions we can implement using community partnerships."

Beauprez's selection of Rowland pleased conservatives within the GOP.

"She brings the Western Slope, rural viewpoint," said Rep. Joe Stengel, of Arapahoe County, who supported Beauprez's former opponent, Marc Holtzman. "She's articulate and able to hold her own. She's just what we've been looking for."

Some thought Beauprez might try to patch things up with Republicans who supported Ref C by picking a running mate from that wing of the party. Political analysts said Beauprez may have decided it was too late for that.

"He's making the strategic decision that he's not going to get the people who felt strongly about Ref C," said Professor Bob Loevy, of Colorado College.

Janet Rowland

• Age: 43

• Occupation: Elected commissioner in Mesa County in 2004. Former social worker with the Mesa County Department of Human Services who investigated child-abuse claims.

• Family: Married to Lance Rowland; they have two grown children.

• Issues: Opposed Ref C; opposes abortion

• Immigration: Supports Rep. Tom Tancredo's proposal that would force all illegal immigrants to leave the country.

Barbara O'Brien

• Age: 55, Bill Ritter's running mate

• Occupation: Past president of the Colorado Children's Campaign, a nonprofit advocacy group, for 15 years.

• Family: Married to Rick O'Brien; they have two grown children.

• Issues:

Supported Ref C; supports abortion rights

• Immigration: Supports the U.S. Senate proposal that would provide some illegal immigrants with a path to citizenship.

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