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Beauprez 'closing the gap'

Alan Gathright, Rocky Mountain News

Published October 31, 2006 at midnight

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STERLING - Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez barnstormed across northeast Colorado Monday, urging supporters to ignore polls showing him trailing Bill Ritter by double digits.

Beauprez told several dozen Logan County Republicans in this Plains farm town that he's battled back from behind to win tight congressional races.

"We're closing the gap," he said, citing in part an online Wall Street Journal-Zogby poll showing him within 2 percentage points of Ritter.

Some pollsters, however, doubt the accuracy of online polling, fearing it can be skewed by regular survey participants and a void of seniors, low-income voters and others who don't use the Internet.

"Regardless of what you may think (of Beauprez's chances), remember two words: Wayne Allard," Beauprez said, referring to Colorado's Republican U.S. senator, who disappointed those predicting his loss in 2002.

One poll showed Allard trailing by 9 percentage points days before the election.

"He won by five (points)," Beauprez said.

Beauprez urged supporters to help crank up the formidable Republican turn-out-the-vote machine as he hopscotched from Fort Collins to Burlington with U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, who is seeking re-election and state Board of Education candidate Bob Schaffer, who was appointed to the panel and is seeking a full term.

"We're very encouraged," Beauprez said, citing an admittedly "unscientific" gut feeling about the response from the public during weekend campaigning.

He recounted motorists honking their horns and giving the thumbs- up to him and supporters waving campaign signs at an Adams County intersection, and similar spontaneous encouragement from fans at Sunday's Broncos game. He also cited backing from members of a Denver black church.

The key, Beauprez said, is turning out the vote and making "sure you get every single vote on our side (to the polls) by 7 p.m. on Nov. 7."

"Is it going to be close? Almost surely. Is it do-able? Absolutely," he said.

The congressman, who has been successful as a dairy farmer, real estate developer and banker, told ranchers he's the leader who can serve the interests of rural and urban Colorado.

He vowed to protect the water needs of farmers and city-dwellers by increasing water storage and conservation.

"This is where you see the best of our values," Beauprez said of people who work the land.

"If we don't address a water solution for the whole state of Colorado . . . you'll have an oasis up and down the I-25 corridor and a dry wasteland on either side."

Resting for final sprint

• Democrat Bill Ritter took Monday off and will spend today in a final fundraising push and boning up for a Halloween night debate with Bob Beauprez at the University of Denver.