Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) announced on Wednesday that she would switch to a different Colorado district in her bid to win a third term in the U.S. House in 2024.
In a Facebook video statement on Wednesday night, Boebert unveiled her plan to jump ship from her native 3rd District, where she eked out a victory by 500 votes last year, to the more GOP-friendly 4th District.
“I did not arrive at this decision easily,” she said. “A lot of prayer, a lot of tough conversations and a lot of perspective convinced me that this is the best way I can continue to fight for Colorado, for the conservative movement and for my children’s future.”
Boebert’s narrow midterm win saw her triumph over Democrat Adam Frisch, who is running again this year. This time around, he’s vastly out-raising the congresswoman, despite the 3rd District’s Republican slant.
The 4th District is considered the most conservative seat in the state, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, which rates it at R+13 (as opposed to the 3rd District, which is rated at R+7). In response to Boebert’s announcement, according to Colorado Public Radio, the Cook Political Report shifted its forecast for the 3rd District’s race from a “toss up” to “leans right.”
Boebert suggested in her video that, by taking herself, Beetlejuice controversy and all, out of the 3rd District, the Republican Party would have a better chance of hanging onto the seat. “I will not allow dark money that is directed at destroying me personally to steal this seat,” she said. “It’s not fair to the 3rd District and the conservatives there who have fought so hard for our victories, of which I’m incredibly grateful.”
Frisch, a former member of the Aspen City Council, has been raking in more campaign cash than almost any other 2024 House candidate, reporting to the Federal Election Commission that he had raised $7.7 million so far, as Time first reported this week. Boebert, in contrast, has raised just over $2.4 million.
Frisch said in a statement to the Associated Press after Boebert’s announcement that he remained primed to take on whoever wins the Republican nomination in the 3rd.
“From Day 1 of this race, I have been squarely focused on defending rural Colorado’s way of life, and offering common sense solutions to the problems facing the families of Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District,” he said. “My focus will remain the same.”
Frisch’s Republican challenger will likely be Jeff Hurd, an attorney who has collected endorsements from a number of significant Colorado officials, including former Gov. Bill Owens and former Sen. Hank Brown, according to The New York Times.
As for Boebert, she’ll now be vying to succeed Rep. Ken Buck, a Republican who announced he would not seek re-election next year. A number of other Republican candidates have already thrown their hats in the ring in the 4th, including two former state senators, a state congressman, a Navy veteran, and a local radio host.
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