Eli Stokols has the story: Bob Beauprez will join the governor’s race on Monday.
Two key things:
One, according to Stokols, Beauprez’ announcement will not clear the GOP primary field. Tom Tancredo is not getting out. And Stokols quotes one Republican as saying the two are in a “major pissing match.” (Note: I would not pay for tickets to that one.)
Two, this is the definition of anticlimactic. Cory Gardner, who will officially announce his senatorial run tomorrow (Saturday) at 11 a.m. at Denver Lumber Co., has absorbed nearly every available bit of political oxygen. Beauprez’ announcement will not go down as a model of great timing.
Already running for the GOP gubernatorial nomination are Tancredo, Scott Gessler, Greg Brophy and Mike Kopp. Beauprez, whose last race was a humiliating 17-point loss to Bill Ritter in 2006, reportedly commissioned a poll showing him running behind Tancredo and Gessler. Tancredo’s last race was also for governor — when he lost by 15 points to John Hickenlooper in 2010.
A debate is scheduled for Sunday – to run on Fox31 at 9 a.m. — with four candidates. Gessler, who skipped the first debate and who said he wouldn’t debate unless all “legitimate” candidates were debating, will be there. That’s one campaign promise down. Tancredo, who skipped the first debate, will skip this one, too. Brophy, Kopp and businessman Steve House are scheduled to be there.
Beauprez will presumably be watching, unless he’s out getting signatures. His campaign has less then a month to gather enough petitions to get him on the primary ballot.
