Lauren Boebert Outspends, Easily Wins in New Colorado District

Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert won her primary on Tuesday, propelling her to November's general election in a completely new district.

The election Tuesday was Boebert's first in Colorado's 4th Congressional District, a political shift compared to her successful election outcomes dating to 2020 when she was first elected to represent the state's 3rd Congressional District in the rural, right-leaning eastern part of the state as well as some more competitive Denver suburbs.

The Associated Press (AP) called Tuesday's race at 9:22 p.m. ET, less than 30 minutes after polls closed in Colorado. As of 10:30 p.m. ET, Boebert had earned nearly 44 percent of voters' support, with 74 percent of the votes counted. The candidate closest to Boebert was Jerry Sonnenberg, with 14.1 percent.

Boebert stated in January that she changed districts due to her "personal life," notably her 2023 divorce from her husband, and a desire for a "fresh start." Others have attributed the decision to her only winning her 2022 reelection bid by just 546 votes, in addition to the sudden retirement of Republican Representative Ken Buck who formerly represented the 3rd District.

Newsweek reached out to Boebert's office via email on Tuesday.

Boebert faced off against Republican challengers Deborah Flora, a conservative commentator; State Representative Mike Lynch; State Representative Richard Holtorf; Logan County Commissioner Jerry Sonnenberg; and business owner Peter Yu.

The Boebert campaign's fundraising total from April 1 to June 5 was roughly $334,000, which fell short of the $624,000 she raised in her 2022 primary but still outpaced the totals of all her opponents combined, according to The Colorado Sun.

But she reportedly "significantly outspent her opponents on voter outreach" in that same timespan, which included $390,000 on TV ads and mailers—a total that alone catapulted her over the combined $387,000 spent by the five other Republicans.

Polls originally soured on Boebert but strengthened as the year went on and she spent more time speaking to constituents in her new district.

A Kaplan Strategies poll conducted on May 31 found that 40 percent of registered voters planned to vote for Boebert, while 40 percent remained undecided. Her challenges' support varied though all received five percent or fewer noted support.

Boebert got help from former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, who earlier this month rubber-stamped his support.

"Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is a Proven Conservative and Effective Leader who delivers for Colorado, and our America First agenda," Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social. "Boebert is a trusted America First Fighter, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Colorado's 4th Congressional District!"

Boebert, one of Congress' most polarizing figures, received scrutiny and was the butt of many jokes after she was escorted out of a Denver theater performance of the musical Beetlejuice in September 2023. She was caught vaping and video showed her and her date fondling one another. She has regretted the incident.

House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik congratulated Boebert in a post to X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday evening, writing that the congresswoman "is a strong #AmericanFirst patriot who will continue to work hard for Coloradans in the next Congress and help us #SaveAmerica!"

Prominent conservative commentator Ian Miles Cheong also celebrated Boebert's primary win, writing to X, "Cope and seethe, haters."

Trump shared a graphic to his Truth Social account while announcing Boebert's win, alongside a link to his campaign's website.

Boebert will face the winner of her district's Democratic primary in November. AP had not called a winner in the Democratic race as of 10:30 p.m. ET.

Update 06/25/24, 10:37 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.