The Republican who represented Colorado’s suburban 7th Congressional District for two terms after the seat was established two decades ago has endorsed economist Tim Reichert in the district’s GOP primary.

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez, a former chairman of the state Republican Party and two-time gubernatorial nominee, said on Friday that Reichert’s economic expertise prompted him to offer his “strongest endorsement.”

“I have watched the GOP primary election closely and have concluded that Tim Reichert is the candidate that has the life experience and character to represent CD-7, Colorado, and the best interests of America in Congress,” Beauprez said in a release. “Tim’s expertise regarding the economic woes we face will be extremely valuable in Washington. Throughout the campaign, he has demonstrated that he is the candidate that understands all the difficult issues, has researched and studied them, and most importantly he has clear, achievable conservative solutions to offer.”

COVER STORY | Bob Beauprez: Colo.’s partisan past should bend toward the middle

Beauprez, who operates a bison ranch in Jackson County, won the closest congressional race in the country in 2002 and held office until 2007. He gave up the swing seat in 2006 to run for governor but lost to Democrat Bill Ritter. Beauprez became the GOP nominee for governor again in 2014 but lost that time to Democrat John Hickenlooper.

Democrat Ed Perlmutter won the 7th District after Beauprez declined to seek another term in Congress and has won reelection seven times since. Perlmutter’s announcement in January that he wasn’t seeking reelection set off a scramble in the competitive district, which covers Jefferson County, Broomfield and six mountain counties stretching south past Cañon City.

Reichert is facing former oil and gas executive and Army veteran Erik Aadland and former legislative candidate Laurel Imer in the June 28 primary. State Sen. Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood, is her party’s presumptive nominee in the district.