The Denver Post reported on December 20 that while Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez “acknowledged missteps” during his campaign, he also claimed that he lost the governor's race to Democrat Bill Ritter because “the national mood was against him.” However, the article by Post staff writer Chris Frates failed to note two of Beauprez's most controversial campaign “missteps” that had nothing to do with the “national mood”: his claim that “70 percent” of African-American pregnancies “end in abortion” and his selection of Janet Rowland as his running mate.

As the Post noted, “Beauprez said Democratic Gov-.elect Bill Ritter ran a campaign with few specifics. And, Beauprez said, as a Republican congressman, the national mood was against him.” The article also reported, “During the campaign, Beauprez battled a national political climate hostile to Republicans”:

“I don't mean to overly rationalize it or excuse it, but it was one of those years. There was a foul wind blowing and I stepped out in the middle of it,” Beauprez said.

According to the Post, “In the governor's race, Beauprez acknowledged missteps. Asked for examples, he said only that 'maybe we made a mistake in not getting out there earlier with some policy, some positions.' ”

While the Post noted the fact that the Beauprez campaign “was accused of getting the information illegally” for an anti-Ritter attack ad, it failed to mention -- despite previous reporting -- controversies over his erroneous comments regarding the percentage of African-American pregnancies that end in abortion and his selection of Rowland, who once linked gay marriage to incest, polygamy, and marriage involving 11-year-olds.

As the Post reported on August 15, “within hours” of Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland's selection as Beauprez' running mate, “Rowland was embroiled in controversy.” The article explained, “Earlier this year during a taped discussion on gay marriage, she [Rowland] asked: 'Do we allow a man to marry a sheep? I mean at some point, you have to draw the line.' ” Similarly, the Rocky Mountain News reported on August 15, “Rowland came under fire Monday for comments she made on the Colorado State of Mind program last spring, comparing homosexuality to 'bestiality, polygamy and incest.' "

Beauprez's campaign generated further controversy after he falsely claimed that “70 percent” of African-American pregnancies “end in abortion.” He made the comment during the August 28 broadcast of Colorado Matters on Colorado Public Radio affiliate KCFR. As Colorado Media Matters noted, according to the latest figures from the November 2005 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 33 percent of pregnancies among African-American women that do not end in miscarriages or stillbirths -- less than half of what Beauprez claimed -- end in “legal induced abortions.”

Under pressure from elected officials and women's health care and rights organizations, Beauprez apologized for his remarks on August 29, as noted by a Post article updated on October 20:

[Beauprez's] comment sparked a fury among black religious and political leaders that was fanned after grassroots liberal groups called attention to the statement.

“I'm offended, and I'm sure others will be as well,” said the Rev. Reginald Holmes, pastor of New Covenant Christian Church in Denver and former head of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance.

“This is evidence of the supreme irresponsibility of the man,” Holmes said. “He's a complete irresponsible buffoon. If he can prove those statistics, then I will apologize publicly.”

Beauprez did not cite the source of the statistic. On Wednesday, his campaign couldn't either.

Post-election coverage in the Post and other media outlets also pointed to Beauprez's abortion comment and his selection of Rowland as important factors in his loss. According to a November 8 Post article -- also by Frates -- “When Bob Beauprez announced his run for governor in January, politicos on both sides of the aisle believed the campaign veteran could win handily. But over the past few months, it became clear they were wrong.” The article noted that Beauprez's “missteps” included, among other problems, having “to apologize for embarrassing public statements by Beauprez and running mate Janet Rowland”:

Beauprez told a radio station in August that 70 percent of black pregnancies end in abortion.

And the day Rowland was announced as Beauprez's running mate, it was learned that she once asked during a discussion on gay marriage: “Do we allow a man to marry a sheep? I mean at some point you have to draw the line.”

A November 9 Post article (“Perfect storm of goofs damaged Beauprez's run”) reported, “Often there is a moment in time that, viewed in retrospect, reveals where things went wrong. In the case of Bob Beauprez's gubernatorial bid, however, the moments were legion.” The Post further noted, “While his Democratic opponent, Bill Ritter, ran a consistently good campaign, most of Beauprez's wounds were self-inflicted, say political watchers, and raised questions about Beauprez's ability to lead.” As examples of the Beauprez campaign's “self-inflicted” wounds, the Post reported, “He [Beauprez] blew a golden opportunity to pick a moderate running mate in August, and instead tapped Janet Rowland who once asked during a discussion of gay marriage: 'Do we allow a man to marry a sheep?' Two weeks later he contended that black women get abortions at the 'appalling' rate of up to 70 percent.”

From the Chris Frates' December 20 article in The Denver Post:

Beauprez said Democratic Gov-.elect Bill Ritter ran a campaign with few specifics. And, Beauprez said, as a Republican congressman, the national mood was against him.

[...]

During the campaign, Beauprez battled a national political climate hostile to Republicans.

“I don't mean to overly rationalize it or excuse it, but it was one of those years. There was a foul wind blowing and I stepped out in the middle of it,” Beauprez said.

[...]

In the governor's race, Beauprez acknowledged missteps. Asked for examples, he said only that “maybe we made a mistake in not getting out there earlier with some policy, some positions.”

The campaign chose to hold that information until after Labor Day, when voters traditionally start paying attention to elections, he said.

Beauprez took some criticism for not campaigning Labor Day weekend when Ritter stumped in five counties. Beauprez said he didn't think Ritter outworked him.

His campaign seemed to get some traction by running an ad that said as Denver district attorney, Ritter had plea-bargained an illegal immigrant who later went on to commit a sex crime against a child in California.

But then his campaign was accused of getting the information illegally from a restricted law enforcement database. Beauprez refused to disclose the source of the information, who was later identified as Cory Voorhis, a federal ICE agent based in Colorado. The case is still being investigated by the FBI and CBI.