Representative Lauren Boebert may not be easily forgiven by her current constituents for changing congressional districts ahead of her reelection race later this year, according to one Republican lawmaker in Colorado.
Boebert, a Colorado Republican, was expected to face one of the most competitive races in the House of Representatives this November. She presently represents Colorado’s Third Congressional District, viewed as having a Republican tilt despite close margins due to Democratic-leaning cities like Aspen and Pueblo. However, she announced late last year she would run in Colorado’s Fourth Congressional District rather than seek reelection in her current seat.
The move comes after a tumultuous few years for Boebert. A staunch conservative, she has at times been a lightning rod for criticism from Democrats and some independents and faced a closer-than-expected race in the 2022 midterms. She defeated Democrat Adam Frisch by only 546 votes, a margin of victory of less than 0.2 percent. Meanwhile, in September, Boebert was removed from a production of Beetlejuice in Denver over allegedly inappropriate behavior, sparking backlash from both Democrats and Republicans.
Colorado State Representative Matt Soper told The Independent that while the Beetlejuice incident did not sit well with her constituents, it is her switching districts that will cost her support among Republicans in the district.
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“She abandoned her duties,” he told the publication. “When the going got tough, she just left, and she behaved like a carpetbagger, moving from one district to another. And I will tell you that, on the Western Slope, that is one thing that’s not tolerated.”
He said that while Republicans in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District prefer a “rugged, individual” representing them in the House, they also have “respect for the office” and were “offended by the fact that she just basically bailed from the ship.”
“I have yet to run into any Republican who’s like, ‘Yeah, she did it for the good of the party; she’s going to allow us to retain the Third and, if we’re lucky, we’ll get her elected to the Fourth,'” he said.
Newsweek reached out to Boebert’s office for comment via email.
Boebert has rejected speculation that she moved districts to avoid a close reelection campaign in November, previously telling The Durango Herald the change “is really in regards to my personal life. There’s definitely been some changes.”
Colorado’s Fourth Congressional District is comprised of the rural, conservative easternmost part of the state, as well as suburbs outside of Denver and Fort Collins that have shifted to the left in recent cycles. Still, the race is seen as a likely victory for Republicans in November, though a straw poll last week suggested she may face a challenge winning the Republican primary in the district.
It is currently represented by Republican Congressman Ken Buck, who has announced that he will not seek reelection.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.