After weeks of calling John Hickenlooper’s term as governor “failed leadership,” Republican nominee Bob Beauprez said Tuesday his campaign to unseat the incumbent ramps up Wednesday.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do from this point forward,” he said. “This is like, ‘Game on.’ “

Beauprez on Tuesday bested primary opponents Tom Tancredo, Scott Gessler and Mike Kopp, and before the concession speeches were even over, it was clear the party intended to work as a team to beat Hickenlooper.

Beauprez quickly took aim at Hickenlooper’s meandering explanation of his remarks in which he appeared to back away from his support for controversial gun laws he signed last year. The governor made the remarks at a meeting of Colorado sheriffs this month.

“It kind of puts an exclamation mark on what we’ve been saying all along: failed leadership,” Beauprez said. “I’m absolutely astounded that a governor would that say to, of all groups, sheriffs and lie to them.

“It’s almost like he played them for a bunch of fools.”

Beauprez said he, if elected, would freeze all regulations.

“You’re not the problem,” he told the crowd. “Government thinks you’re the problem. That’s why they want to regulate you.”

When Tancredo conceded the race at his backyard barbecue — where he manned the grill — he thanked this supporters and urged them to support Beauprez.

He called Beauprez to congratulate him. “I’m going to do everything I can for you, buddy,” Tancredo told him. “Even if that means I don’t come around.”

Tancredo also thanked Beau-prez for being the first to support him early in Tancredo’s political career.

“Win or lose, I’m resigned to my fate. I feel pretty much at peace,” Tancredo said.

A man prone to controversial remarks, Tancredo said Hickenlooper’s remarks on the gun laws were indicative of his leadership ability.

“When you consider the only … issues he got out in front of were the tax increase, Amendment 66 and the gun issue. (They) sort of bit him,” Tancredo said. “And I think he’s just sort of, no pun intended, gun shy.”

Hickenlooper offered a statement saying he looked forward to the race against Beauprez.

“I’ve known Bob for a long time. When I was mayor of Denver, he was a congressman, and we always got along great. We had our differences, but the things we agreed on, we worked together on. I think he is generally a good person. I look forward to having a campaign about ideas.”

Hickenlooper said no matter who won Tuesday’s primary, he was going to run the same campaign. That means touting economic achievements, including 31 straight months of job creation.

Gessler urged his supporters to back Beauprez.

“The cause is bigger than ourselves, it’s bigger than any one of us,” Gessler said. “The cause is what type of society we’re going to live in and what type of future we’re going to have. Although I wanted to be the standard bearer there and fight for the cause as the leader of it, I’m not. I’m going to be in a supporting role.”

Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174, jbunch@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joeybunch

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