U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez wants to go from representing 7th Congressional District constituents to an office that deals with all of Colorado’s needs.
Beauprez is making a bid for the seat of Colorado governor.
A Colorado native, Beauprez wants the job because he wants to be able to put politics aside and be a problem solver, he said in an e-mail interview.
“We must demand a world-class education for our children, a safe and reliable water supply, an integrated transportation system and access to affordable health care,” he said in the e-mail.
His top three issues in the race are health care, education and illegal immigration.
Beauprez wants to address the rising costs, which are a burden to families. And businesses also are suffering from the costs.
With education, one of Beauprez’s proposals is to launch a privately funded state initiative to help parents prepare children for school. The program would reach out to the faith-based community and the business community for help, according to Beauprez’s Web site.
He also wants more reforms for illegal immigration, including ensuring that local law enforcement can enforce immigration laws, require photo ID and proof of citizenship for voting and deny bail to any illegal immigrant charged with a DUI or other serious crimes, according to Beauprez’s Web site.
Before he was in Congress, Beauprez worked in a variety of disciplines, including expanding a family dairy farm. In later years, he became president and chief executive officer of Heritage Bank, which has 14 locations statewide.
After he was elected to U.S. Congress, his work included being on committees for Transportation and Infrastructure, small business and Veterans Affairs.
For more, go to www.bobbeauprez.com.
Bob Beauprez
Age: 58
Residence: Arvada since 2002
Profession: House District 7 incumbent
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Bill Ritter
A former Denver district attorney wants to bring his experience to state government.
Bill Ritter is in the race for Colorado governor.
“I lived the Colorado dream,” he said in an interview by e-mail. “Now it’s time for me to fulfill that Colorado Promise for future generations.”
If he wins, he wants to address the state’s education, health care and the state of the economy.
For education statewide, Ritter’s proposals include teacher cadet programs, where high school juniors and seniors interested in teaching are encouraged to pursue the field as a career. He also wants to combine public and private efforts to build a principal training institute.
Ritter wants to make health care more affordable, and his ideas include joining a multi-state purchasing pool for pharmaceuticals as well as focusing on prevention efforts.
He also wants to improve the economy and availability of jobs.
Ritter was the sixth of 12 children and grew up on a farm in eastern Arapahoe County. He has lived in Denver since he graduated from law school, except for three years, when he and his wife served as missionaries in Africa to run a food distribution center, according to the e-mail interview.
Over the years, his work has included establishing one of the country’s first drug courts, focusing on white-collar crime and those against seniors and creating the country’s first Victim’s Service Network, according to his Web site. His community involvement has included being chairman of the board of Promoting Alternatives to Violence through Education, the Denver Foundation’s Human Services Committee and the Denver Public Schools Commission on Secondary School Reform.
For more, go to www.ritterforgovernor.com.
Bill Ritter
Age: 49
Residence: Denver since 1981
Profession: Former
Denver district attorney