Local News

Gov. Owens And Wife End Separation

Owens Returns To Family After 20-Month Separation

By Steven K. Paulson, AP Writer

DENVER (AP) ― Republican Gov. Bill Owens has returned to his family after a 20-month separation from his wife that many observers believed was a blow to his political ambitions.

The governor issued a statement Saturday thanking his friends for their support and said he and his wife will continue to work out their differences.

"The family is back together at their home in Centennial for Mother's Day," said Owens' spokesman, Dan Hopkins.

First lady Frances Owens told the Rocky Mountain News she is "cautiously optimistic" she and the governor can repair their 30-year marriage. She could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

She told the News she thought she and her husband were headed for a divorce until they talked last week, when the governor left a note at their home saying he wanted to be a family again.

"I don't know if it will work out," she said. "I'm willing to try. This is the first time he's made any attempt."

Pollster Floyd Ciruli said a reconciliation will make little difference in Owens' career because he has less than two years left in his second term and he is term-limited.

Owens has said he would like to go to work in the business community to make some money after he leaves office and has no plans at the present time to run for another public office.

Ciruli said a reconciliation could pave the way if Owens decides to run for office in the future.

"This definitely resolves a big issue in terms of family," Ciruli said.

John Straayer, a political science professor at Colorado State University, said he thinks domestic matters like marriage status should be left out of the political debate, but he acknowledged that it would be marginally advantageous for Owens if he didn't have any distracting factors of a personal nature.

"From a pure political standpoint, it would probably help him a bit, particularly with the wing of the Republican party that is focused on social issues, such as family and marriage and divorce and that sort of thing," Straayer said.

The importance of having a stable family life might matter more in securing the nomination of the Republican party than in a general election, he said.

"The slice of the electorate that is concerned about those matters is embedded in the right wing of the party," Straayer said. "When you move to the moderates, it's probably of somewhat less political significance."

Before the couple's separation was announced in August 2003, the conservative National Review called Owens the best governor in the nation, praising his stands on a range of issues. Last year, conservative syndicated columnist George Will touted him as a possible presidential nominee in 2008.

But last March, Owens declined entreaties from state Republicans to run for the Senate when Republican Ben Nighthorse Campbell abruptly announced his retirement.

Among other things, Owens cited family concerns. Six months earlier, he had announced he was separating on a trial basis from his wife, Frances. The couple, who have three children, offered no reasons and asked the public to respect their privacy.

Instead, Owens backed beer executive Peter Coors to run for the Senate, and Owens lost some of his political capital when Coors lost to Democrat Ken Salazar.

Owens is now using his influence to back a measure on the November ballot to untangle a fiscal knot created by Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, which limits increases in taxes and spending.

Ciruli said Owens has earned sympathy from friends and supporters by getting back together with his family, but that is expected to have little effect on his political influence now.

"He remains a term-limited governor," Ciruli said.

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