Rep. Lauren Boebert, the MAGA lightning rod who flipped her district in Colorado to avoid being expelled from the House, won a hotly contested Republican primary in a conservative part of the state on Tuesday, all but ensuring she will serve in the House for the next two years.
Boebert, a two-term Republican, beat off multiple challengers in Colorado’s eastern plains and was all but guaranteed to defeat her Democratic rival in November in the Republican-dominated 4th Congressional District. She led by such a large margin that The Associated Press reported her victory less than 30 minutes after the polls closed.
Boebert is an outspoken right-wing congresswoman who first won her seat in 2020, defeating a Republican incumbent in the primary. She made a name for herself for her strong views on gun control, including carrying a Glock on her hip and encouraging staff at her now-closed restaurant to openly carry handguns. In Congress, she became known for her hardline MAGA views and has been embroiled in a string of personal troubles, including being kicked out of a Denver theater after being caught on security camera engaging in lewd conduct.
Facing strong Democratic challenges in the vast western Colorado district where she was first elected, Boebert chose to move to eastern Colorado to improve her chances of staying in Congress — and it appears to have worked.
The seat replaces Republican Ken Buck, who left the council earlier this year before his term expired, and will be filled on an interim basis by Republican Greg Lopez, the former mayor of Parker, who won a separate special election on Tuesday. Boebert did not run in the special election because doing so would have required her to give up her seat, which would have cut into the Republicans’ slim majority.
Former President Donald J. Trump’s endorsement of her and her national name recognition helped her raise far more money than her five primary opponents, splitting the anti-Boebert vote and enabling her to win, despite criticism that she was rigging the election by suddenly changing her residency.
Boebert won reelection in her old district in 2022 by just over 500 votes, but now faces another challenge from Democrat Adam Frisch, who ran closely in the race two years ago with little outside support. This time, Frisch has attracted strong financial backing from Democrats who saw an opportunity to oust Boebert.
Now that Boebert is gone, Democrats are hoping to recapture the seat she currently holds in a conservative district that includes luxury ski resorts, energy plants and ranches. Democrats gambled that Frisch might have an easier time beating far-right Republicans in November’s election, backing right-wing conservatives in a crowded primary.
But the effort was to no avail as Grand Junction attorney Jeff Hurd won the Republican nomination Tuesday, giving the party’s mainstream preferred candidate against Frisch.
