DENVER — U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert is looking to make a switch in congressional districts.
Boebert, who currently represents Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, announced on Wednesday her candidacy for the 2024 Republican nomination in the state's 4th Congressional District.
Republican Congressman Ken Buck announced in November that he would not seek re-election in the 4th Congressional District, citing his party’s repeated lies about the 2020 election that have now set the nation “on a collision course with reality.”
“Americans are rightfully concerned about our nation's future and are looking to Republicans in Washington for a course correction. But their hope for Republicans to take decisive action may be in vain,” said Buck, the fifth-term Republican, in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter.
The 3rd Congressional District includes Grand Junction, Pueblo and much of the Western Slope. The 4th Congressional District includes the Republican stronghold of Douglas County and eastern Colorado.
Boebert narrowly held onto her seat during the 2022 election after beating out businessman and Democrat Adam Frish by 546 votes. While Boebert was widely expected to win the race, few predicted the race would be so close.
A rematch was expected, with Frisch raising at least $7.7 million to Boebert's $2.4 million, the Associated Press reports.
Frisch issued the following statement Thursday on Boeber's decision to drop out of the 3rd district race:
"Boebert is running scared from CD-3 because she knows she can’t match our campaign’s ability to connect with voters and the hard work we have put in to provide them with a common sense voice in Congress... Even before the Beetlejuice debacle that embarrassed her constituents, our campaign was polling ahead of Boebert because voters saw that we were showing up in their communities... My focus will remain the same, and I look forward to fighting for these priorities in Congress in 2024."
Boebert also faced a challenge from within her own party. The Montrose Daily Press reports Grand Junction attorney Jeff Hurd has gained several endorsements in his bid for the GOP nomination.
Following a video announcement, Boebert said in a statement she arrived at this decision following "a lot of prayer, a lot of tough conversations and a lot of perspective." She referenced the need for a "fresh start following a difficult year" that included a divorce and misbehavior at a performance of the musical "Beetlejuice" in Denver.
"I am confident this move will allow Colorado to have stronger conservative representation in the U.S. House to help President Donald J. Trump enact an America First agenda in 2025, protect our House majority, elect Republicans at every level of government, and allow us to focus on defeating the Democrats in 2024," she said in her statement.
Boebert thanked her constituents in the 3rd Congressional District and said she would "continue working as hard as I can for the remainder of my term to be a great representative for the district."
The congresswoman does not have to live in the 4th Congressional District in order to represent it. She only has to live in Colorado.
Full statement from Rep. Lauren Boebert:
"My mission has always been and will always be to defend our freedoms and defeat the Democrat socialists and communists so we can take our country back, but that mission does not take place in a vacuum either personally or professionally.
"Personally, this announcement is a fresh start following a difficult year for me and my family. I cannot put into words how grateful I am for everyone who has steadfastly stood alongside me in the 3rd District and across America. The relationships we have cultivated over the past few years are deeply cherished and unbreakable.
"I did not arrive at this decision easily. A lot of prayer, a lot of tough conversations, and a lot of perspective have convinced me this is the best way I can continue to fight for Colorado, for the conservative movement, for my kids’ future, and for the future of this great country.
"Professionally, Colorado’s 4th District is hungry for an unapologetic defender of freedom with a proven track record of standing strong for conservative principles. I love Colorado’s 3rd District and I will continue working as hard as I can for the remainder of my term to be a great Representative for the district.
"But I also spent years living on the Front Range and years representing Rural America. The 3rd and the 4th Congressional Districts comprise nearly 85% of Colorado’s footprint and have less than 20 people per square mile. Rural America deserves a strong voice that fights for their freedoms.
"The American people are struggling with groceries, inflation, credit card debt, and other monthly expenses that were fueled by Biden’s spending spree. I know all too well how damaging the liberals have been to our entire state. I will be moving to the 4th in 2024 and will continue to take my conservative fight directly to them.
"This move also helps stop Hollywood elites and national progressive groups from buying the 3rd District. They aren’t pouring millions into the 3rd District based on policy differences, they are pouring it in because they know what a threat I am to their liberal agenda. I will not allow dark-money that is directed at destroying me to steal this seat. 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.
"I am confident this move will allow Colorado to have stronger conservative representation in the U.S. House to help President Donald J. Trump enact an America First agenda in 2025, protect our House majority, elect Republicans at every level of government, and allow us to focus on defeating the Democrats in 2024."
In a statement, Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib called Boebert a "loser in CD3, and she'll be a loser in CD4."
“Lauren Boebert can run, but she can’t hide. The good people of Western and Southern Colorado didn’t wait for an election to beat Lauren Boebert — we scared her straight and chased her out of her own district. With this carpetbagging move, Lauren Boebert has shown herself to be everything she claims she isn’t: a typical swampy politician looking for a reason to call Washington D.C. home. She’s a loser in CD3, and she’ll be a loser in CD4 — Coloradans won’t buy her bullshit in 2024.
“Colorado Democrats launched The 546 Project, our unprecedented year-round campaign in Western and Southern Colorado, to make sure that rural Colorado is represented by someone committed to protecting our outdoor spaces, expanding health care, and treating people right – not hurting our farmers and ranchers with bad policies and foolish trade wars, or selling our public lands off to the highest bidders. We look forward to this fight.”
