DENVER — U.S. Rep Lauren Boebert is projected to win her bid to be the Republican candidate in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ and the Associated Press.
The Colorado Republican fled a tough reelection bid in the 3rd District to run in a more favorably red congressional district on the other side of the state.
Boebert beat a group of homegrown primary candidates who had far less name recognition and generally less combative political styles.
She is expected to win the November general election in the 4th District, which is a dark shade of red and tilted heavily toward former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
Her opponents in the primary were more traditional rivals including former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg; current state Reps. Mike Lynch and Richard Holtorf; and parental rights advocate Deborah Flora.
"2024 is when we take Colorado back. It's when we take our nation back and we set a path on a new trajectory for conservative values, for Christian morals, that we would be a righteous nation recognized throughout the world, once again, that we could stand up for our allies throughout the world, because we take care of the homeland first," Boebert said in speech during her watch party.
While the theater incident and Boebert's district jump rattled some Republicans, Gilbert Kendzior, 68, a voter in Boebert's new district, shrugged them off, asking “who's perfect?”
Kendzior said he voted for the congresswoman because she shakes things up. “It's gotten too staid. Same promises, nothing happens,” he said. “We need to get rid of the old farts.”
Colorado's 4th Congressional District Democratic Primary
It was still too close early Wednesday to call the race that would determine Boebert's Democratic challenger in November.
As of 6:45 a.m., Trisha Calvarese held a lead of just under 2,000 votes (about 4%) over Ike McCorckle, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Calvarese declared victory in a news release late Tuesday but the race was still deemed to close to officially call.
Colorado’s 4th Congressional District special election
Former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez has won the 4th Congressional District special election on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
Lopez will serve the remainder former Republican U.S. Rep. Ken Buck’s term.
The staunch conservative announced in November of last year that he wasn't going to seek reelection, citing his party's handling of former President Donald Trump. Buck resigned from Congress in March.
Lopez had said if he wins the special election, he intends to be a “placeholder” member of Congress and has no interest in serving a full term of his own.
3rd Congressional District Republican Primary
Farther to the west, among the Rocky Mountains and high desert mesas, Jeff Hurd won the GOP primary for the 3rd District, home to Boebert's current seat.
Hurd, a softer-spoken and less hard-line conservative, will face Democrat Adam Frisch, who lost to Boebert by only 546 votes in 2022. That narrow margin was largely attributed to Boebert’s divisiveness among voters, and Hurd is considered to have the advantage in the general election in the Republican-leaning district.
Still, Frisch’s near victory in 2022, which caught national attention and showed donors he had a path to flip the seat, has helped him raise over $13 million. It’s one of the biggest House campaign chests in the nation and far overshadows Hurd’s $1 million.
In the primary, Hurd defeated former Republican state Rep. Ron Hanks; Stephen Varela, a former Democrat who switched parties; businessman Lew Webb; and financial adviser Russ Andrews.
After a narrow margin in 2022 and with Boebert gone, could Colorado's 3rd district flip? DU professor analyzes win for "more electable" Hurd in the video player below:
5th Congressional District Republican primary
In the 5th District, which is home to the city of Colorado Springs, Crank bested Williams after the latter faced condemnation from fellow Republicans over his leadership including the use of party resources to boost his own campaign.
Williams, a former state representative, has tried to realign the state GOP with the far-right flank of the national party. In recent GOP communications, he called people celebrating Gay Pride Month “godless groomers”and urged people to burn pride flags.
Crank is a more traditional Republican, less inclined toward fiery invective and the party’s hard-right wing.
Williams was already in hot water before the emails. A complaint against him with the Federal Elections Commission alleges that he used the state party email list to announce his campaign for Congress and spent party money on mailers that included an attack on Crank.
5th Congressional District Democratic primary
The race on the Democratic side for who will square off with Crank in November was a tight one. Only 207 votes separated Joe Reagan and River Gassen as of 10 p.m. Tuesday, with the race too close to call.
Both Reagan – a former Army officer – and Gassen – a scientist and educator – are first-time candidates.
You can read more about the candidates from Colorado Public Radio here.
8th Congressional District Republican primary
Republican state Rep. Gabe Evans, a former police officer, defeated former state Rep. Janak Joshi, a retired physician, in the race to challenge Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo. Caraveo won the 8th District, which stretches north of Denver, by fewer than 2,000 votes in 2022.
The primary winner will likely benefit from a windfall of support from the National Republican Campaign Committee, which is intent on defending the party's thin House majority.