Rep. Lauren Boebert, the MAGA lightning rod who switched districts in Colorado to avoid being ousted from the House, won a crowded Republican primary in a conservative part of the state on Tuesday, all but ensuring she will win another two will sit in Congress for years.
Ms. Boebert, a two-term Republican, beat several challengers in Colorado’s eastern plains, making her all but certain to prevail over her Democratic rival in the solidly red Fourth Congressional District in November. The Associated Press voted in her favor less than half an hour after the polls closed, with her leading by a wide margin.
Ms. Boebert, an outspoken right-wing lawmaker, first won her seat in 2020 after upsetting an incumbent Republican in a primary. She made a name for herself with strong pro-gun views, carrying a Glock on her hip and encouraging employees at her now-closed restaurant to openly carry handguns. She became known in Congress for her strident MAGA views and got into a number of personal disputes, including being thrown out of a Denver movie theater in a lascivious episode caught on a surveillance camera.
Facing a strong Democratic threat in the sprawling western Colorado district where she was first elected, Ms. Boebert decided to move to eastern Colorado for a better chance of remaining in the House — and it appears to be working have.
The seat was vacated earlier this year by Ken Buck, a Republican who left Congress before his term expired, and will be temporarily replaced by Greg Lopez, a Republican former mayor of Parker who won a separate special election on Tuesday. Ms. Boebert did not run in the special election because it would mean giving up her current seat and displacing the thin Republican majority.
Former President Donald J. Trump endorsed her, and her national profile helped her raise significantly more money than her five primary opponents, who split the anti-Boebert vote and allowed her to win despite claims that she was with the sudden Change of residence was on the wrong side.
Ms. Boebert narrowly won re-election in her original district in 2022 by just over 500 votes and would have faced another challenge from Adam Frisch, a Democrat who narrowly narrowed the race two years ago with little outside help. On this ballot, he received strong financial support from Democrats, who saw an opportunity to oust Ms. Boebert.
Now that Ms. Boebert is gone, Democrats hope to capture the seat she now holds in the conservative district that includes world-class ski resorts as well as energy facilities and working ranches. Democrats there backed a right-wing conservative in a crowded primary, betting that a far-right Republican might be easier for Mr. Frisch to defeat in November.
But the effort failed when Jeff Hurd, a Grand Junction lawyer, won the Republican nomination on Tuesday, giving the party establishment the candidate it preferred over Mr. Frisch.
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2024-06-26 04:38:03
www.nytimes.com
