Current:Home > NewsUS Rep. Lauren Boebert will find out whether switching races worked in Colorado-LoTradeCoin
US Rep. Lauren Boebert will find out whether switching races worked in Colorado
View Date:2024-12-23 16:15:22
Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election.
DENVER (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert will soon find out whether her political gamble, abruptly switching congressional districts in Colorado mid-election, will cost the GOP or reinforce its position in the U.S. House.
Boebert, a far-right standard-bearer whose following reaches far beyond Colorado, won by only 546 votes in 2022. Facing a rematch against the same, well-funded Democrat in 2024, and suffering a scandal where she was caught on tape vaping and causing a disturbance with a date in a Denver theater, Boebert left the race.
As an outspoken patron of presidential candidate Donald Trump, Boebert said Democrats were targeting her. Her exodus, she said, would better help Republicans retain the seat.
Boebert then joined the race for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, a more conservative area of the Great Plains, arguing that her voice is still needed in Congress.
The packed and dramatic Republican primary was the biggest hurdle. Boebert maneuvered around a major political threat, weathered accusations of carpetbagging and tended the bruise of getting booted from the Denver theater. With a near household name and an endorsement from Trump, she pulled through the Republican field.
Boebert is now expected to win against Democrat Trisha Calvarese in the district that supported Trump by nearly 20 percentage points in 2020.
Some questions, however, remain as to whether Boebert’s withdrawal from her old district was enough for Republicans to hold onto the seat. The Democratic candidate, Adam Frisch, had already pulled in an astounding number of donations for a non-incumbent before Boebert departed, fundraising off of his near success in beating her in 2022.
The thrust of Frisch’s campaign was to “stop the circus,” dubbing Boebert’s style “angertainment.” Without the congresswoman as political foil, Frisch has fallen back onto his politically moderate platform, emphasizing that he will be a voice for rural constituents and take a bipartisan approach to policy.
Frisch, a former Aspen councilman and currency trader, still has one of the largest House campaign chests in the country. It far overshadows GOP candidate Jeff Hurd’s coffers.
It’s unclear how much that will make a difference. The district still leans red, and Hurd, an attorney, is a more temperate conservative than his predecessor, with fewer gaffs. Hurd has said his goal is to make local headlines instead of national ones. The baggage free “R” next to his name on the ballot might be all that’s needed.
With an expected victory in her new district, Boebert will be filling a seat vacated by former Rep. Ken Buck. The congressman resigned, citing a flank of the Republican Party’s hardheaded politics and unwavering devotion to Trump — the traits that made Boebert a name brand.
In a recording of Buck at a private event initially reported by Politico, the former congressman said “she makes George Santos look like a saint.” Santos was expelled from Congress last year. To some, Buck’s replacement is another sign of a Republican Party increasingly falling behind Trump.
Boebert has portrayed her intractable politics — stonewalling the vote to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy as House speaker for a series of concessions — as promises kept on the campaign trail.
___
Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
veryGood! (5972)
Related
- Martin Scorsese on faith in filmmaking, ‘The Saints’ and what his next movie might be
- Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme to undergo surgery, European tour canceled
- Opening statements to give roadmap to involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin
- Pete Rose docuseries coming to HBO this month, will look at lifetime ban and more
- Melissa Gilbert recalls 'painful' final moment with 'Little House' co-star Michael Landon
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Split Peas
- Kate Beckinsale sheds light on health troubles, reveals what 'burned a hole' in esophagus
- Arkansas election officials reject petitions submitted for an abortion-rights ballot measure
- The Army’s answer to a lack of recruits is a prep course to boost low scores. It’s working
- Montana Republicans urge state high court to reverse landmark youth climate ruling
Ranking
- Stop What You're Doing—Moo Deng Just Dropped Her First Single
- 'Gladiator II' trailer teases Paul Mescal fighting Pedro Pascal — and a rhinoceros
- A troubling first: Rising seas blamed for disappearance of rare cactus in Florida
- Nevada county votes against certifying recount results, a move that raises longer-term questions
- Joey Logano wins Phoenix finale for 3rd NASCAR Cup championship in 1-2 finish for Team Penske
- Political ads on social media rife with misinformation and scams, new research finds
- Sam's Club Plus members will soon have to spend at least $50 for free shipping
- Cavers exploring in western Virginia rescue ‘miracle’ dog found 40 to 50 feet down in cave
Recommendation
-
Cruise ship rescues 4 from disabled catamaran hundreds of miles off Bermuda, officials say
-
Millions still have no power days after Beryl struck Texas. Here’s how it happened
-
European Union adds porn site XXNX to list of online platforms facing strictest digital scrutiny
-
A look at heat records that have been broken around the world
-
Horoscopes Today, November 12, 2024
-
Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid's Son Jack Quaid Responds After Mom Defends Him From Nepo Baby Label
-
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s Daughter Violet Affleck Speaks Out About Health in Rare Speech
-
FAA investigating after video shows jetliner aborting landing on same runway as departing plane