Ten Years Ago: Not surprising to politicos who had their finger on the pulse of Colorado’s political scene, U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez formally announced his candidacy for governor. He joined seven other Republicans to vie for his party’s nomination — a chance to challenge incumbent Democrat Gov. John Hickenlooper.

“I have been watching this race and thinking that this was an opportunity to maybe take some turf back for the GOP side, especially given the governor’s record of late,” Beauprez told The Colorado Statesman.

What rankled him the most, Beauprez said, was that Hickenlooper had not vetoed any bills during the previous legislative session, despite being sent numerous controversial bills.

“Zero! Zero vetoes, in what everybody panned as the most extreme session in Colorado history, so I guess that would make him an extreme governor,” Beauprez said.

Having recently been named chairman of Denver’s 2016 Host Committee for the Republican National Convention, Pete Coors, chairman of Molson Coors Brewing Company and Miller-Coors, was was announced as Beauprez’s replacement for the role — an important one for both the GOP and the state and city of Denver.

“I know Pete will do a fantastic job. Pete is a good friend and a strong advocate for Colorado,” Beauprez said. “I will work with Pete and the rest of the committee to ensure a seamless transition as the selection process moves forward.”

Coors praised Beauprez for his work in getting the committee up and running and said he looked “forward to working with a broad coalition of businesses and civic leaders as well as elected officials to ensure Denver’s bid” was successful.

Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument, who had recently dropped out of the U.S. Senate race was named as a new committee member as well.

In other news, marriage equality advocates hosted a rally on the Capitol steps, telling lawmakers, “all loving, committed couples should have the freedom to marry in the state that they call home.”

The ‘Why Marriage Matters’ rally followed the news that nine couples had filed an organized legal challenge to Colorado’s constitutional ban on marriage for same-sex couples. A second lawsuit was filed in Adams County, joining two federal cases out of Utah and Oklahoma.

Proponents were busy crafting a ballot initiative for 2016 which would make same-sex marriage legal and reverse the 2006 voter-approved ban.

“Why Marriage Matters Colorado will broaden the dialogue with Coloradans about why marriage is important to same-sex couples and their families and why it is consistent with the values of liberty and freedom,” said spokesman Jon Monteith.

Rally organizers put forward Denver Clerk and Recorder Debra Johnson as the face of the campaign’s outreach effort. Despite her support of same-sex marriage, Johnson had denied marriage licenses to same-sex couples in order to allow the lawsuit to move forward.

“My belief is equality, fairness. Couples that love each other should have the ability to marry,” Johnson told The Statesman after the rally. “The decision was very hard not to give out the licenses.”

Openly gay House Speaker Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, told the crowd that it had not been enough to pass the 2013 same-sex civil union legislation.

“We’re not done fighting,” Ferrandino said. “We need full equality for every couple here in Colorado and that means we have to work together from these Capitol steps and travel the entire state talking about what marriage matters to our LGBT couples.”

Sen. Lucia Guzman, D-Denver, who was openly homosexual and an ordained clergy member said she looked forward to the day she could marry same-sex couples and called herself the, “Honorable lesbian senator in the Colorado State Senate.”

Sen. Pat Steadman, D-Denver congratulated all those assembled, saying that they were all “taking a stand to be on the right side of history.

“The time has come for marriage equality,” Steadman said. “It’s time for the freedom to marry — any everybody knows it.”

Rachael Wright is the author of the Captain Savva Mystery series, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics and The Gazette.