Colorado GOP Questions Lauren Boebert’s Decision to Switch Districts

The head of the Colorado Republican Party has expressed concerns about Rep. Lauren Boebert’s surprising decision to withdraw from her re-election race in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District and instead run in the more GOP-friendly 4th District.

Avoiding a Rematch

By making this switch, Boebert will avoid facing Democrat Adam Frisch in a rematch of the 2022 midterms, where she won by a narrow margin of 546 votes. Instead, she will compete for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Ken Buck.

Party Perspective

Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williamson expressed his party’s disagreement with Boebert’s decision during an interview with CNN. He stated that they believed she was best suited for Congressional District 3 and had the best chance of winning re-election.

District Analysis

The 3rd District leans 9 percentage points in favor of Republicans, while the 4th District has a 27 percentage-point advantage for the GOP, according to an analysis of election results from 2016 to 2020. This analysis was conducted by Colorado legislative staffers and reported by the Colorado Sun.

Boebert’s Justification

In a Facebook post, Boebert argued that “dark money” from “Hollywood elites and progressive money groups” was being used to target her personally in the 3rd District. She believes that by switching districts, Republicans have a better chance of retaining both seats in Congress.

Challenges Ahead

While Boebert is not required to reside in the 4th District to represent it, Williamson suggested that she may face difficulties explaining her decision to voters. He stated that it would be a challenge for her to convince the voters of the 4th District why she felt it was necessary to leave the 3rd District in order to have a better chance at keeping her seat in Congress.

Opposition Response

Adam Frisch, Boebert’s Democratic opponent in the 3rd District, criticized her decision, stating that it proves she was never committed to the communities of CO03 and is only in politics for herself. He believes that she is running scared and cannot match their campaign’s ability to connect with voters and provide them with a common-sense voice in Congress.