Republican Lawmaker Switches District To Improve Election Odds

Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert barely survived her last election campaign, defeating her Democratic opponent by just over 500 votes.

With her seat up again next year, Boebert is trying to avoid another close race and announced on Wednesday that she plans on changing districts.

Lauren Boebert is Making a Big Move to Improve Her Odds of Re-Election in 2024https://t.co/biQVktPTuC

— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephantUS) December 28, 2023

From AP:

In a Facebook video Wednesday evening, Boebert announced she would enter the crowded Republican primary in retiring Rep. Ken Buck’s seat in the eastern side of the state, leaving the more competitive 3rd District seat she barely won last year — and which she was in peril of losing next year as some in her party have soured on her controversial style.

I wanted to let you, my constituents and supporters, hear directly from me about my plans for the 2024 election cycle and the importance of maintaining a conservative voice for Colorado in Congress as well as keeping our Republican House majority.

I cannot put into words how… pic.twitter.com/YY5PHS1EJs

— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) December 28, 2023

Boebert implied in the video that her departure from the district would help Republicans retain the seat, saying, “I will not allow dark money that is directed at destroying me personally to steal this seat. It’s not fair to the 3rd District and the conservatives there who have fought so hard for our victories.”

“We have to protect our majority in the House,” she said.

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Boebert called it “a fresh start,” acknowledging the rough year following a divorce with her husband and video of her misbehaving with a date at a performance of the musical “Beetlejuice” in Denver. The scandal in September rocked some of her faithful supporters, who saw it as a transgression of conservative, Christian values and for which Boebert apologized at events throughout her district.

She already faced a primary challenge in her district, as well as a general election face-off with Democrat Adam Frisch, a former Aspen city council member who came within a few hundred votes of beating her in 2022. A rematch was expected, with Frisch raising over $7.7 million so far to Boebert’s $2.4 million.

Instead, if Boebert wins the primary to succeed Buck she will run in the state’s most conservative district, which former President Donald Trump won by about 20 percentage points in 2020, in contrast to his margin of about 8 percentage points in her district.

“It’s the right move for me personally, and it’s the right decision for those who support our conservative movement. This is the right move for Colorado, for us,” Boebert said in her video.

Even though she claims her move will help Republicans keep the House majority, Trump allies like Laura Loomer believe the move will give the Democrats the majority.

.@laurenboebert pretty much just gave Democrats control of the House again.

She is too scandal plagued to run for re-election in her current seat, so she just abandoned her seat in a district where her well funded Democrat opponent has raised over $4 million and is set to win.… https://t.co/LxkwaCjp8X

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) December 28, 2023