Colorado congressional delegation will favor Democrats 7-1 after three flips
Boebert, of Windsor, said she would not run in 2028 if she loses to Laubacher, and she blamed the financial backing Laubacher received for her loss.
“There’s a lot of money dumped on my head, and, I mean, I refuse to spend money like that again,” Boebert said. “I think it’s gross how much we dump into these races, and I was actually hoping to prove that seats just can’t be bought, but maybe I’ll be proven wrong. We’ll see.”
Laubacher declared victory Monday. “This victory is historic. But making history means nothing if we don’t make a difference,” Laubacher said in a statement. “My focus is simple: lower costs, protect healthcare, strengthen rural communities, take on corruption in both parties, and hold Washington accountable.”
Laubacher attended orientation for new members of Congress this week.
Since launching her campaign last year, Laubacher established a substantial fundraising advantage over her rivals, raising more money than every other candidate of either party in the race combined.
Laubacher, a first-time candidate, is a retired Navy rear admiral and former National Security Council official. She was a longtime Republican and switched her party affiliation, first to unaffiliated, and then to Democratic in 2024. She defended the switch at a debate against Boebert, claiming her belief in personal liberties is currently found in the Democratic Party and that the GOP she historically supported is “nearly unrecognizable.”
The 4th District, which includes most of Douglas County and the Eastern Plains, was previously considered safely Republican. Some analyses of the Boebert-Laubacher race recently put the district in the “leans Republican” category. National Democrats looking to flip the district named it a top priority this election. The last Democrat to represent the district was former U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey, who was elected in 2008 and served one term.
Boebert was first elected to represent the 3rd District on the Western Slope, but she moved across the state after two terms when she nearly lost reelection in 2022. She is a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, but a rift arose earlier this year when Boebert campaigned alongside outgoing Kentucky U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, whom the president targeted for leading efforts to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files last year.
Two other congressional seats in Colorado previously held by Republicans flipped to Democrats in last week’s election as part of a “blue tsunami” that swept the state and the country. Republican Rep. Gabe Evans lost his race to Democrat Manny Rutinel in the 8th District, and Republican Rep. Jeff Crank lost his race to Democrat Jessica Killin in the 5th District. With Boebert’s loss, the state’s congressional delegation will favor Democrats 7-1.
The counting schedule remained open even after the call. Thursday was the deadline for overseas and military voters to submit their ballots and for voters with signature discrepancies to cure their ballots. County clerks have until the end of the day Friday to submit vote counts.