Republican and Democrat are in a heated race to succeed two-term Republican Gov. Bill Owens.
Beauprez, 58, is best known as a Republican two-term congressman from suburban Denver’s 7th Congressional District. In 2002, Beauprez beat Democrat Mike Feeley to win the newly created seat by 121 votes — the closest margin in the country. As a congressman, Beauprez served on several key committees including Ways and Means and sided with President Bush 98 percent of the time on key votes.
Ritter, 50, was Denver’s district attorney for 12 years, putting more than 12,000 people in state prison during his tenure.
Ritter and Beauprez both were raised in Colorado, Beauprez on dairy farm outside Lafayette and Ritter on a farm in Aurora.
On the stump, Beauprez emphasizes the conservative values he learned growing up, as well as his experience developing that farm and buying a community bank. He argues that his business success makes him the best choice to be the chief executive of a state with a $16.5 billion budget.
The businessman turned congressman also touts his experience in the legislative arena. In Congress, he introduced a bill to reform Medicaid and helped provide a prescription drug benefit under Medicare. But Ritter attacks Beauprez’s record as out-of-step with Colorado and points to Beauprez’s close ties to Bush.
Ritter counters Beauprez’s business friendly image with his own pro-business mantra, “I supported Referendum C.” Ritter points to his support of last year’s ballot measure — which allows the state to keep an estimated $4.7 billion over five years — as an investment in state services that attract business, namely, roads, education and health care.
Illegal immigration has also become a major theme of the campaign.
Beauprez has questioned Ritter’s judgment after revelations that, as Denver district attorney, he approved 152 plea bargains that saved immigrants with drug, assault and other offenses from deportation. Ritter defends his actions saying that those here illegally could have been deported no matter what they were charged with.
Beauprez has also attacked Ritter’s support of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants that have attended several years of Colorado high school and graduated. Beauprez leveled the criticism even after supporting in-state tuition for an illegal immigrant four years ago, a fact that led Ritter’s campaign to call the congressman hypocritical.
Also in the race are three other candidates, Paul Fiorino, who is running unaffiliated; Clyde J. Harkins, with the American Constitution Party; and Dawn Winkler-Kinateder, Libertarian.
Governor Candidate:
– (Republican)
– (Unaffiliated)
– (American Constitution Party)
– (Democrat)
– (Libertarian)
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