Bob Beauprez

Robert Beauprez
Born	Robert Louis Beauprez (1948-09-22) September 22, 1948 Lafayette, Colorado, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Politician, banker, dairy farmer
Years active	1997–present
Known for	Chairman of the Colorado Republican Party (1999–2002); U.S. Representative for Colorado's 7th congressional district (2003–2007); Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2006 and 2014

Robert Louis Beauprez (; born September 22, 1948) is a politician from the United States affiliated with the Republican Party, hailing from Colorado.

A native of Colorado and an alumnus of the University of Colorado Boulder, Beauprez's early career included roles as a dairy farmer and a community banker. He served as chairman of the Colorado Republican Party between 1999 and 2002. Beauprez was elected to represent Colorado's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2003 until 2007. He vacated this position to pursue the office of Governor of Colorado in 2006 but was defeated by Democrat Bill Ritter. Beauprez ran again as the Republican candidate for governor in 2014, losing to the incumbent Democrat John Hickenlooper. He is also affiliated with the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.

Early life

Born in Lafayette, Colorado, Beauprez grew up on his family’s dairy farm located near Boulder, Colorado. His paternal grandparents immigrated from Belgium and were known for breeding draft horses, while his maternal lineage traces back to German ancestry. His parents managed farms raising Hereford cattle and dairy cows. Initially registering as a Democrat, Beauprez shifted to the Republican Party during the 1970s, motivated by his dissatisfaction with the Colorado Democratic Party at that period and inspired by his father’s example.

He attended Fairview High School, where he distinguished himself as an all-conference offensive tackle on the football team. Beauprez then earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from the University of Colorado in 1970.

Republican Party chairmanship

Beauprez began his leadership journey in 1997 when he was appointed chairman of the Boulder County Republican Party. In 1999, with support from Senator Wayne Allard, he ascended to chairmanship of the Colorado Republican Party. His leadership was marked by assertive redistricting initiatives aimed at boosting Republican legislative representation, although during his term, Republicans lost control of the Colorado State Senate for the first time in forty years.

U.S. House of Representatives

In the 2002 election, Beauprez narrowly secured victory in Colorado's 7th congressional district by just 121 votes within a highly contested swing district. As a freshman congressman, he was assigned to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Veterans Affairs Committee, and Small Business Committee. After winning re-election in 2004, he earned a position on the influential House Ways and Means Committee.

2006 Colorado gubernatorial election

In August 2006, Beauprez claimed the Republican nomination for governor, succeeding term-limited Governor Bill Owens. After Marc Holtzman withdrew and endorsed him, Beauprez encountered no significant opposition within his party.

Military service controversy

During February 2006, Beauprez attracted criticism for appearing in military attire despite having never served; he had obtained draft deferments and was medically disqualified during the Vietnam War era. A liberal advocacy organization later used this issue in an online advertisement, which Beauprez dismissed as politically motivated.

NCIC database

In October 2006, Beauprez aired advertisements attacking opponent Bill Ritter’s tenure as Denver district attorney by referencing a plea bargain involving an undocumented immigrant allegedly involved in drug dealing who was subsequently arrested under an alias on separate charges. Questions emerged about how Beauprez’s campaign accessed this information since it appeared to originate from restricted federal criminal databases such as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation initiated a probe and engaged the FBI. Beauprez denied any knowledge or improper use of NCIC data despite having co-sponsored related legislation during his time in Congress. An ICE agent accused of unlawfully providing this information to Beauprez’s campaign manager was ultimately acquitted at trial.

Assessment and controversy surrounding Cory Voorhis

ICE Senior Special Agent Cory Voorhis faced legal charges for retrieving Medina's criminal record from the NCIC system and distributing it to Beauprez's team. Beauprez characterized this action as "whistleblowing," pointing to lenient plea agreements during Ritter's tenure as district attorney. Doubts emerged regarding why a Denver DA staffer who shared comparable information with Ritter’s campaign was not subjected to prosecution. On April 9, 2008, Voorhis was found not guilty; a juror remarked that the panel concluded he did not act with deliberate wrongdoing and believed he was unfairly targeted.

Beauprez encountered criticism for appearing unsupportive throughout the inquiry, though it later came to light that he had offered assistance to Voorhis, which Voorhis's legal team declined to avoid perceptions of political bias. In an open letter, Voorhis publicly commended Beauprez as "an honorable gentleman." Media personality Peter Boyles withdrew his prior criticisms and issued an apology to Beauprez.

Election outcomes

On November 7, Beauprez was defeated by Democrat and former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter by a margin of 262,100 votes.

2014 Colorado gubernatorial race

In March 2014, Beauprez declared his candidacy for governor as a Republican challenging incumbent Democrat John Hickenlooper. He secured ballot access by petition rather than through the state assembly. During the June 24 primary, Beauprez captured 30.24% of the vote, surpassing Tom Tancredo, Scott Gessler, and Mike Kopp.

On July 1, he announced Douglas County Commissioner Jill Repella as his lieutenant governor candidate.

Controversy emerged on July 3 when a video from 2010 surfaced showing Beauprez making remarks akin to Mitt Romney’s "47%" statement, criticizing nearly half of Americans for not paying federal income taxes and alleging a political tactic aimed at fostering dependency on government assistance. Democrats condemned him as "out of touch" and "elitist," while his campaign defended the comments as an economic critique.

In August, Beauprez expressed willingness to deploy Colorado National Guard personnel to the Mexico border if requested by another state’s governor, prompting legal objections. He subsequently clarified that any deployment would be humanitarian rather than military in nature.

On November 4, 2014, Hickenlooper prevailed over Beauprez by 68,238 votes; Beauprez conceded the election the following day.

Political involvement in 2016

During the 2015-2016 election cycle, Beauprez established Colorado Pioneer Action, an organization that funded communications endorsing certain candidates primarily for state legislative offices while opposing others. In June 2016, Campaign Integrity Watchdog filed a complaint alleging that Colorado Pioneer Action operated as an unregistered political committee in breach of Colorado’s disclosure regulations. After nearly a year filled with pre-trial motions—including efforts by Beauprez to dismiss the charges—the matter proceeded to trial in March 2017.

Colorado Pioneer Action was convicted of multiple campaign finance infractions, fined $17,735, and ordered to register and disclose its donors. Both Beauprez and the organization appealed this decision to the Colorado Court of Appeals; a ruling is still pending.

Treasurer Role at the American Conservative Union

Beauprez held the position of treasurer for the American Conservative Union, the organization responsible for organizing the yearly Conservative Political Action Conference. On May 25, 2023, he stepped down suddenly, citing concerns over insufficient transparency related to the salary of the group's president, Matt Schlapp.

Personal Details

Beauprez is a husband and father to four children, and he is also a grandfather to six grandchildren.

External links

• Coverage of Beauprez in The Denver Post, denverpost.com, June 11, 2006.

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