Beauprez could give GOP name recognition in Senate race

Bob Beauprez, a former congressman from the Denver suburbs and the Republican nominee for governor in 2006, is reported to be “leaning toward” seeking the GOP nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in 2010.

Politico.com quoted Beauprez on Monday as saying, “There’s a general sense that our field isn’t really set on our side, and Bennet is quite vulnerable. We’re looking at it with an increased sense of urgency.”

Beauprez did not return two calls to his office.

If Beauprez runs, he’ll fill a big blank in the state’s political picture. As the flush of their November 2008 victory wears off, Democrats in Colorado are looking less invincible these days, and Republicans have been enthusiastic about the possibility of unseating Gov. Bill Ritter and Bennet, who was appointed by Ritter to the Senate seat vacated in January when Ken Salazar became President Barack Obama’s interior secretary.

Scott McInnis, a former congressman, and Josh Penry, the minority leader in the state Senate, bring some name recognition to the GOP gubernatorial contest, which also includes a businessman named Dan Maes.

But the Republican field in the Senate race is a low-wattage bunch, so far. Have you heard of Ryan Frazier, an Aurora city councilman? Or Ken Buck, the Weld County district attorney? Or Cleve Tidwell, a Denver businessman? They’re the declared candidates.

Two local political figures might have been in the mix: Jeff Crank and Bentley Rayburn, Colorado Springs conservatives who ran against Rep. Doug Lamborn for the Fifth Congressional District seat in 2008.

But Crank has settled in as a talk radio host and state director of Americans for Prosperity, which is organizing anti-health-care-reform rallies around the state. He said Tuesday he’s happy there.

Rayburn, a retired Air Force general, was passed over last month for superintendent in Falcon School District 49. He’s president of The Home Front Cares, a local nonprofit that assists families of deployed troops, and has other charitable and business pursuits. He said Monday he was keeping his options open for the future. The U.S. Senate? “I’m not pursing that,” he said. “If I was seriously considering that, I’d need to be out there right now.”

Apparently the call is about to go out to the bullpen for somebody who can throw some heat. Although he was soundly defeated by Ritter in 2006, Beauprez has enough name recognition to partly compensate for Bennet’s head start in fundraising. According to campaign finance reports, the senator had a daunting $2.2 miilion war chest at the end of June.

The field of Republicans looking to oust Bennet may also include Tom Wiens, a former state senator from Castle Rock, and Luke Korkowski, a Crested Butte attorney, who have formed exploratory committees.

There’s not much time left for exploration: Primary day 2010 is 12 months away.

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