Incumbent Republicans all over Colorado are up for reelection come Nov. 3. That includes Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s 4th Congressional district. Boebert won with a 12 point lead in 2024, but the political landscape looks much different than it did two years ago.
High gas prices, an unpopular president, and the ongoing war with Iran are a few factors that voters will be thinking about when they cast their vote. But for those voting in Colorado’s 4th district, the election also presents a more local question: is Boebert the right person to continue representing them in Washington?
Colorado’s 4th congressional district encompasses the eastern rural part of the state as well as parts of the Colorado Front Range, including Loveland, Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock, and Parker. This is an area that historically has been conservative, with Boebert winning the district by just over 10 points in 2024.
Of the 21 counties in Colorado’s 4th congressional district, Boebert won all but two. The same is true for President Donald Trump.
Boebert’s time in congress has been marked by controversy. In 2023, she was removed from Denver’s Buell Theatre during a performance of “Beetlejuice” for disruptive behavior, including vaping. She also heckled President Joe Biden during his 2022 State of the Union address.
Her political statements have also drawn criticism. In 2022, she said “the church is supposed to direct the government” and dismissed the separation of church and state as “junk.” In 2021, she issued an apology for anti-Muslim remarks targeting U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. Boebert also promoted Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Most recently, Boebert is being accused of having sexual relations with three of her congressional staff. The complaints were made by activist David B. Wheeler, and also claim that she arranged a payment of $200,000 to an aide to keep the involvement quiet. Boebert has denied these claims, calling them “utterly false.”
CBS Colorado reports that the allegations remain unverified and that Wheeler’s complaint was not properly filed with the House Ethics Committee.
Boebert’s opponent, Democrat Eileen Laubacher is a retired two-star Navy admiral and former Republican from Highlands Ranch whose campaign emphasizes lowering living costs and working across party lines. Her campaign has a focus on getting away from the drama and getting legislation passed.
A new poll from the New York Times has Laubacher trailing Boebert by five percentage points, suggesting a potentially tighter race than Boebert’s 2024 victory.
With just over two weeks till election day voters in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District will soon decide whether to return Boebert to Washington or give Laubacher the opportunity to represent them. This outcome will offer a look into where the national political climate stands, potentially dictating who both democrats and republicans decide to run in 2028.
