beauprez-bobMove over B-list Republicans, former Congressman and defeated gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez might want to take on Democratic U.S. Senator Michael Bennet.

“There’s a general sense that our field isn’t really set on our side, and Bennet is quite vulnerable,” Beauprez tells Politico. “We’re looking at it—with an increased sense of urgency.”

In a follow-up article, the Colorado Springs Gazette writes that a Beauprez candidacy would “fill a big blank in the state’s political picture,” calling the GOP’s candidates so far a “low-wattage bunch.” The newspaper asks, “Have you heard of Ryan Frazier, an Aurora city councilman? Or Ken Buck, the Weld County district attorney? Or Cleve Tidwell, a Denver businessman? They’re the declared candidates.”

And the party better get in gear. Bennet has $2.2 million in his campaign chest, and the primary is just 12 months away.

Meanwhile, Buck is mired in controversy–defending his decision to seize thousands of tax documents in a sweeping identity-fraud investigation, according to The Associated Press. Buck, in a court filing, claims he did not violate anyone’s privacy rights.