On Thursday, the leader of the Colorado Republican Party expressed skepticism regarding Rep. Lauren Boebert’s unexpected choice to withdraw from her re-election bid in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.
Instead, Boebert opted to run in the more Republican-leaning 4th District, avoiding a rematch with Democrat Adam Frisch, whom she narrowly defeated by 546 votes in the 2022 midterms. This strategic move positions Boebert to compete for the seat left open by the retiring Rep. Ken Buck.
“From a party perspective, we certainly don’t think it was the best move,” Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williamson said of Boebert’s 2024 gambit during an interview with CNN.
“We felt that she was best suited for Congressional District 3 and that she was in the best position to win re-election and retain that for Republicans,” he added.
The 3rd District holds a 9 percentage-point Republican advantage, while the 4th District boasts a 27 percentage-point GOP lead, as indicated by an analysis of 2016 to 2020 election results by Colorado legislative staffers, as reported by the Colorado Sun.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday revealing her decision, Boebert argued that “dark money” from “Hollywood elites and progressive money groups” is targeting her personally in the 3rd District. Frisch has raised over four times as much as Boebert in the most recent quarter in that district.
She contends that by switching districts, Republicans enhance their chances of retaining both congressional seats.
“We cannot lose the third and Colorado’s Fourth District is hungry for an unapologetic defender of freedom with a proven track record of standing strong for conservative principles,” she said in the post. “We have to protect our majority in the House, win the Senate and win the presidency.”
While Boebert isn’t obligated to live in the 4th District to serve as its representative, Williamson hinted at potential challenges for the 37-year-old lawmaker in justifying the district switch to voters.
“Time will tell whether or not we’re right, but I think she’s got a serious challenge on her hands trying to explain to the voters of [the 4th District] why she thought it was necessary to leave [the 3rd District] and have a better chance at keeping her seat in Congress,” Williamson said. “It’s kind of a problematic proposition. But it’s again, it’s something for the voters to decide.”
