Thirty Years Ago This Week: “No, no, no,” said Congressional District 2 candidate Sharon Klusman. “Ted Engel may have Terry Considine in his corner, but not Bo Callaway.”

Klusman decided to put the rumors to rest that her competitor had the support of three major Republicans; former Sen. Bill Armstrong, former state Sen. Terry, R-Englewood, and former Colorado Republican Party Chairman Bo Callaway.

Callaway had served on Klusman’s finance committee and had co-hosted a $75-a-head fundraiser for Klusman with restauranteur Ed Novak the previous week.

Engel himself denied the rumors.

“Armstrong? That’s news to me. Considine? That’s news to me. Callaway? That’s news to me,” said Engel. He told The Colorado Statesman that he’d met once with Considine last fall but failed to receive a contribution nod. “I wish it were all true. If it happens, I’ll be very happy.”

Engel said he believed the rumors started in connection with Steven Ira, who gave over $500 to Engel’s candidacy and served on various campaign committees. Ira and Considine were partners at Property Asset Management. Ira ventured into politics when he worked on Considine’s 1992 U.S. Senate campaign.

“Ted is my private physician,” said Ira. “I’ve known him for a long period of time. Ted shares the same Republican values that I have. I’ve obviously introduced him to Terry, but you have to ask Terry where he stands.”

Klusman said that she wouldn’t be surprised if Considine decided to support Engel who, she believed, enjoyed a high level of support among right-wing and religious Republicans.

Engel said he wasn’t sure that he appealed just to right-wing Republicans.

“I think I’m getting support from the entire spectrum of Republican voters,” Engel said. “And I don’t delve too deeply into my supporters’ beliefs.”

Ten Years Ago: At the close of the Republican primary election former U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez emerged from a crowded field to stand in the general election against Gov. John Hickenlooper. Beauprez captured 30.23% of the votes with his closest competitor, former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, at 27%.

“Here’s the question that is on the ballot this fall,” said Beauprez, beaming as he addressed a cheering crowd at the Denver Athletic Club. “Do you trust in people, or do you trust in the government?”

The crowd enthusiastically chanted “people.”

“You’re not the problem,” said Beauprez. “Government thinks you are — that’s why they want to regulate you. Everything we think, do, say, manufacture … they want to regulate it. If they could tax and regulate your imagination, they’d do that too. Not me. Not me.”

Speaking to The Statesman, Beauprez said that no one had stood up against Hickenlooper’s record and called the governor’s leadership “indecisive and wishy-washy.”

Beauprez promised that on the first day of his administration he’d “freeze all non-essential regulations. We’ll go through every agency, every function of government, every rule, every regulation with a singular focus: is it pro freedom, is it pro-individual, does it trust in individuals, or does it deny individuals?”

Beauprez had also been the GOP nominee in 2006, but went on to lose by 16 points to Democrat Bill Ritter in the general. Beauprez said that he’d learned a lot of lessons from the earlier loss and said that his campaign’s missteps had largely been due to the difficulty of running a statewide campaign on the weekends in between his congressional duties.

“This is the only guy who could beat Hickenlooper,” gushed former state Sen. Nancy, Spence, R-Centennial. “I couldn’t be more excited.”

State Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument said, “It’s a great night for Republicans because I think all seats are in play. It’s a great thing.”

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.