Laubacher enters Congress with Blue Dog Coalition backing

Rep. Lauren Boebert, who clashed with President Trump over the Jeffrey Epstein files while seeking a fourth term, lost her re-election bid in a deep-red Colorado House district to Democrat Eileen Laubacher. Her defeat leaves all four Republican lawmakers who broke with Trump over the Epstein documents out of the next Congress.

The Associated Press reported Friday that with 99% of the vote counted, Laubacher had 48.8% to 47.9% for Boebert, more than a week after Election Day. Boebert lost a district that Trump won by 18 points in 2024; the Journal described the result as “a stunning Democratic victory in a broader electoral wave.”

Laubacher is a retired Navy rear admiral who served as a member of President Joe Biden’s National Security Council. She was backed by the political-action committee associated with the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate and conservative House Democrats.

Boebert was first elected to Congress in 2020 to represent a western Colorado district. She owned a restaurant called Shooters Grill, built her online profile and joined the House Freedom Caucus.

The Journal reported that she ran into political trouble with her constituents, some of whom grew tired of her provocateur persona and attention-grabbing statements, including a tweet on Jan. 6, 2021, the day of the Capitol riot, that said: “Today is 1776.” She survived a close election in 2022, beating her Democratic challenger by 546 votes. In 2023 she and her date were ejected from the musical “Beetlejuice” for talking and vaping.

In the next election cycle, Boebert decided to switch to a safer red district that had remained in GOP control since 2011. She won that seat in 2024.

Boebert’s break with Trump over the Epstein files

Boebert helped drive the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, joining a small band of Republicans who teamed up with Democrats to force a vote on making the documents public over Trump’s initial strong objections. Boebert is one of a handful of Republicans who clashed with Trump over the Epstein files, and she eventually secured the president’s endorsement.

During the fight over the Epstein documents, Trump personally called Boebert. She also met with top officials in the White House situation room, including FBI Director Kash Patel, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi and others.

All four of those lawmakers will be gone in the next Congress: Boebert and Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.), who lost his GOP primary; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.), who quit office last year; and Rep. Nancy Mace (R. S.C.), who ran unsuccessfully for governor. Trump had heavily criticized Boebert over her support of Massie during his campaign, calling her “weak minded.”

Trump later issued a veto of a bill related to a Colorado water project, which the Journal called a surprise veto. Boebert complained, and members of both parties charged retaliation. Trump ultimately endorsed Boebert in her 2026 run, calling her “a MAGA Warrior” just days before the election.

Boebert’s election-night message

As this year’s results came in, Boebert said she was hoping for a late comeback. Asked in an interview with 9News in Denver if there was a lesson for the party from the midterm results, she responded: “Yeah, don’t start endless wars. That’s a big one. I’ve been frustrated about the Iran war.”