Bob Beauprez

About Me

Bob Beauprez is a former dairy farmer, community banker and Member of Congress who has spent his entire life working to leave Colorado better than he found it.

The grandson of immigrants, he is a third-generation Coloradan on his father's side and a fifth-generation on his mother's. Bob grew up on a family dairy farm in rural Boulder County just west of Lafayette. The daily regime of chores, field work and milkings taught him a disciplined work ethic that would serve him well throughout his life.

After finishing college at the University of Colorado, Bob married his high school sweetheart Claudia and returned to the family dairy farm to continue helping his dad and brother. Over the next 20 years, he developed Beauprez Holsteins into an internationally recognized herd, selling them across five continents. During that time, he also served on the National Board of the Holstein Association of America.

By 1990, the family recognized an even greater opportunity and asked Bob to manage the transformation of Boulder Valley Holsteins into Indian Peaks, a 1,350 home development with 100 acres of commercial property and an 18-hole public golf course.

As Indian Peaks began to take shape, Bob and his wife Claudia watched with dismay as their hometown bank was sold to a super-regional megabank. Seeking to keep the tradition of personal, community banking alive in their hometown, the couple bought into a failing bank on the verge of collapse. Within a decade, they had built Heritage Bank into a strong $400 million total asset, 13 branch company. As Chairman and CEO of Heritage, Bob created more than 150 jobs and made hundreds of millions of dollars available to families and small businesses across the market region.

Bob took his growing role in the community seriously, becoming more involved in politics. In 1997, he was asked to serve as chairman of the Boulder County Republicans. In 1999, he was elected Chairman of the State Republican Party, taking over a fractured party in financial debt. He took to the road, visiting Lincoln Day dinners and county executive committees across the state. He also slashed costs and bolstered fundraising efforts. The result was a united, and financially solvent, state party.

In 2002, at the urging of state and national leaders, Bob ran for Colorado's newest Congressional District and won the general election by the slimmest margin in the entire country – 121 votes. He was re-elected to be the Representative from the 7th Congressional District in 2004 by 30,000. Even though the district became less Republican between 2002 and 2004, Bob's message of principled leadership, hard work, and an honest clear message earned him the respect of his constituents.

While serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Bob held seats on the powerful Ways & Means committee as well as the committees on Transportation, Veterans Affairs, and Small Business. He served as Vice Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee as well. Hallmarks of his time in Congress include approval for a new veterans' hospital at Fitzsimons, increased funding for transportation projects in Colorado and, along with Senator Wayne Allard and Congressman Mark Udall, transforming Rocky Flats and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal into National Wildlife Refuge parks that will benefit Colorado forever.

In 2006, Bob announced he would run for Governor in order to leverage his lifetime of real world experience creating jobs and seizing opportunity. Bob's campaign focused on fulfilling the transportation infrastructure needs of the state, solving the immigration problem that continues to plague Colorado's economy, finding a solution to the high cost of health-care, and negotiating a water solution for the entire state. After a hard fought campaign that included 28 debates and campaign visits to all 64 counties, victory eluded Bob and Claudia this time.

Following the election, Bob and Claudia moved back home to Indian Peaks and the land his family had farmed for generations. Bob has launched a new website and e-magazine called A Line of Sight, which focuses on common-sense solutions to America's policy issues, and published his first book A Return to Values: A Conservative looks at his Party. In 2007 the Beauprezs purchased an operating ranch near Walden, Colorado, a high mountain area known as North Park. They have established a bison breeding herd of a hundred females, and look forward to spending time there working with land and livestock as well as enjoying Colorado's spectacular beauty.

Bob and Claudia have been married since 1970. They have four children and three grandchildren. They have no plans of slowing down, and are eager for the next opportunity to serve the state they love so much.