Boebert Trails Laubacher in Closely Fought Colorado House Race
Laubacher held a narrow lead over Boebert in early results in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, which includes the Eastern Plains and parts of several Front Range counties. The count stood at just over 5,000 votes in Laubacher’s favor at 12:15 a.m. on November 4, while votes were still coming in and the outcome remained unsettled. Libertarian Douglas Mangeris was also running in the race.
Boebert led in most of the district’s counties, but Laubacher was ahead in Douglas, Arapahoe and Larimer, among the district’s more populous areas. The seat has long favored Republicans; its last Democratic representative was elected in 2008 and served one term. Still, Democrats targeted the district, and its rating shifted from solidly Republican to leaning Republican in late October.
Laubacher, a retired Navy rear admiral, centered her campaign on public service, listening to residents and working across party lines. She criticized Boebert over tariffs, the Iran war and support for a Republican-backed law that she said would harm rural hospitals. Boebert presented herself in their October debate as a lawmaker who delivers results for the district.
Campaign finance filings showed Laubacher and Democratic supporters spent about $12 million, compared with roughly $1.1 million for Boebert. Boebert, seeking another term after winning the 2022 election by 546 votes, had also drawn President Donald Trump’s criticism after supporting a petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files. The remaining vote count will determine whether she keeps the seat.
Laubacher’s Challenge Puts Boebert’s Record on the Line
A Democratic challenger is within striking distance of a Republican incumbent in a district long considered Colorado’s safest seat for the GOP. Early on November 4, retired Navy rear admiral Eileen Laubacher led Lauren Boebert by just over 5,000 votes, with the count still underway. Libertarian Douglas Mangeris was also on the ballot.
Laubacher made the cost of Republican policies a central issue, criticizing Boebert’s support for tariffs and the Iran war, which she argued were increasing expenses for voters. She also warned that Medicaid cuts in a Republican-backed law could hurt rural hospitals. Boebert’s close race comes after she won her 2022 contest by just 546 votes, and Democrats put the district on their target list despite its Republican lean.
Laubacher campaigned on listening to residents across the district and working across party lines. Her campaign and Democratic supporters spent about $12 million, compared with around $1.1 million for Boebert. The district’s political rating shifted from solid Republican to leaning Republican shortly before the election.
Boebert’s break with Trump over a petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files drew the president’s public attacks. But the immediate question is whether voters will return her to Congress after a race in which Laubacher challenged her record on costs, health care and war. The remaining ballots will decide the contest.
Boebert’s Seat Is Too Close as Democrats Target Colorado Stronghold
Lauren Boebert’s fight to keep her House seat was unsettled early on November 4, as Democrat Eileen Laubacher held a lead of just over 5,000 votes. The contest is unfolding in a district that has favored Republicans: when its boundaries were drawn in 2021, Republicans had an average 25-point advantage. Libertarian Douglas Mangeris was also challenging Boebert.
Boebert led across most counties, while Laubacher was ahead in Douglas, Arapahoe and Larimer, which include some of the district’s largest population centers. Democrats nevertheless put the seat in play, backing a candidate whose military and public-service background they hoped could appeal beyond the party’s usual voters. Laubacher and her supporters spent about $12 million; Boebert’s campaign spent roughly $1.1 million.
Boebert has argued that she delivers results for communities across the district. After narrowly winning in 2022, she embraced earmarks and worked with Democrats on some legislation, while also breaking with Trump by backing a petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files. Trump later attacked her publicly and supported the prospect of a challenger.
Laubacher criticized Boebert over tariffs, the Iran war and a Republican-backed law she said could damage rural hospitals. Those arguments helped make the contest competitive, but the district remains Republican-leaning and Boebert still led in most counties. The final outcome depends on the vote count still underway.
Reported by Westword, KUNC, Denver7.
