Updated

Republican voters on Tuesday opted for U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez to challenge Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper in November, pinning their hopes to end a long electoral drought in Colorado on a candidate who lost his previous gubernatorial bid by 17 points.

Beauprez, a buffalo rancher who grew up working on his father's dairy farm, defeated three other Republican candidates in a sleepy primary with little advertising thunder. That will change fast: Hickenlooper, who has raised nearly $3 million for his re-election bid, already has bought $1.4 million in television advertising for the weeks leading up to the general election.

The victory punctuates an eight-year journey for Beauprez back to the Republican Party spotlight, and shows that despite his past defeat the GOP establishment still views him as the most formidable candidate against Hickenlooper.

"I'm even more experienced than I was eight years ago. I'm certainly a lot wiser," Beauprez said recently, recalling his earlier candidacy in 2006. One of the reasons he lost then, Beauprez said, was that running for governor while still in Congress "proved to be enormously difficult."

Democrats began their attacks on Beauprez immediately after it became clear he would win.

A press release from ProgressNow Colorado called Beauprez "one of Colorado's most storied political losers."

He had been expected to take the governor's office in 2006, replacing then-Republican Gov. Bill Owens, but instead lost badly to Democrat Bill Ritter. Since then, Republicans have been in the minority in the Colorado Senate and controlled the state House for only two years. Barack Obama also carried the state twice.

Beauprez defeated another former congressman, Tom Tancredo, Secretary of State Scott Gessler and former state Sen. Mike Kopp on Tuesday's primary.

The 65-year-old Beauprez served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

He entered the GOP governor race in February, describing himself to primary voters as the best choice to defeat Hickenlooper, who has far outpaced all GOP challengers in fundraising.

Republicans saw Tancredo as a potential liability, not only in the governor's election in November, but in other races as well, most notably as the U.S. Senate contest between Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Udall and Republican U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner. They believed Tancredo's strong opposition to illegal immigration -- and incendiary comments he's made on the subject -- had the potential to alienate independent voters and depress Republican turnout.

"I think Tancredo would have a tough time," said voter Tony Ranalli, a Democratic voter from Tancredo's hometown of Lakewood. Ranalli didn't vote Tuesday -- there was little at stake in his party -- but he was rooting for a Tancredo selection. "Someone like him plays well I'm sure with the conservative base, but as a general candidate, not as much," he said.

Tancredo lost to Hickenlooper in 2010, when he ran as the Constitution Party candidate, underscoring his contentious relationship with his own party.

Tancredo raised the most money among Republicans, with $793,000, followed by Gessler, with $535,000. Beauprez raised $306,000 and loaned himself about $500,000. Kopp raised $266,000.