Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert loses reelection bid in Colorado - USA Today
In a huge upset, Democrat Eileen Laubacher has defeated conservative firebrand Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, CNN and NBC News have projected.
The loss denies Boebert, a one-time staunch MAGA ally who has at times strayed from President Donald Trump in recent years, a fourth term in Congress after she was first elected in 2020.
Laubacher, who spent more than three decades in the Navy, had confidently declared victory on Nov. 9, before the race was called.
"The message was clear: Coloradans are tired of political games, broken promises, and being ignored by Washington," Laubacher said in a post on X. "They want someone who will fight for them and deliver results."
Boebert was an apparent target for Democrats after barely surviving her 2022 midterm reelection by 546 votes over Democrat Adam Frisch in Colorado's 3rd District. She later switched to the more Republican-heavy 4th District in 2024 and won.
As soon as she hit Congress, Boebert became one of the more polarizing politicians within the MAGA faction, drawing both the attention and ire of Democrats and Republicans alike. She loudly heckled President Joe Biden during his 2022 State of the Union address, and Biden called her "one of the leaders of this extreme MAGA movement."
Boebert is also known for her share of controversies.
In September 2023, Boebert was thrown out of Denver's Buell Theatre during a performance of the musical "Beetlejuice." Boebert initially denied accusations that she and a companion were vaping and groping one another during the show, but later publicly apologized and conceded that she had acted inappropriately after a video of the incident went viral. Boebert cited the trauma of her then-pending divorce from ex-husband Jayson Boebert.
In September, David Wheeler, an activist and founder of the American Muckrakers political action committee, filed a complaint with the U.S. House Committee on Ethics accusing Boebert of having sexual relationships with three congressional staffers and arranging a $200,000 payment to keep one former aide quiet. Boebert denied the allegations, calling them "utterly false," and said it was a politically motivated hit close to the election.
In October, a judge granted Boebert a temporary protection order against Wheeler, requiring him to stay 100 yards away and have no contact with her.
For Laubacher, who predicted earlier this week she would win, the former Navy Rear Admiral was so confident that she even headed to Washington and participated in an orientation for incoming members of Congress on Nov. 9.
"I spent 34 years in the Navy putting mission before politics. That's exactly what I'll do in Congress," Laubacher said in a post on X. "I don't answer to a political party. I answer to the people of the 4th District, and I'll work with anyone and everyone, including President Trump, Republicans, and Democrats to get things done."
Laubacher said her focus is simple and similar to many messages fellow Democrats have said this campaign season: lower costs, protect healthcare, strengthen rural communities, take on corruption in both parties, and hold Washington accountable.
