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Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) plans to run again for Congress next year, but she won’t be running in her current district.
The fiery Republican announced Wednesday evening she’d be running for the state’s 4th Congressional District instead of the 3rd, where she faces a tougher challenge following the state’s redistricting after the 2020 Census.
The congresswoman would have had to face Republican attorney Jeffrey Hurd in the primary and Democrat Adam Frisch in the general, who nearly ousted Boebert by 546 votes in 2022. Instead, she will run for Rep. Ken Buck’s seat, a Republican who recently decided to retire at the end of his term.
“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,” said Boebert. “2024 is going to be tough, we cannot lose the third, and Colorado’s fourth district is hungry for an unapologetic defender of freedom with a proven track record of standing strong for conservative principles. We have to protect our majority in the House, win the Senate, and win the presidency.”
Boebert accused “Hollywood elites and progressive money groups” of trying to “buy” her current district after Frisch brought in a large amount of campaign money this year, the Daily Caller reported. According to Federal Election Commission filings, Frisch has raised a total of $7.8 million this year and has $4.3 million cash on hand.
Certainly unexpected https://t.co/Q8rAMc0m3A
— Real American Politics (@RealAPolitics) December 28, 2023
In addition, Hurd has reported raising just under a half million dollars since his August campaign launch and has $355,900 in the bank.
According to FiveThirtyEight’s survey compilation, a recent poll had Frisch beating Boebert by 2 points, while a poll from earlier this year had the two running neck-and-neck.
In her Facebook video, Boebert said she plans to move to the 4th district soon, which is on the opposite side of Colorado. The Daily Caller noted that Buck’s district leans heavily Republican, so she will not have as difficult a time of winning his seat.
The Cook Political Report characterizes the 4th Congressional District as “Solid Republican,” whereas Boebert’s seat is currently in the “Toss Up” category.
“Personally, this announcement is a fresh start following a pretty difficult year for me and my family. I’ve never been in politics before, and I’ve never been through a divorce, something I never intended to go through. I’ve made my own personal mistakes, and I’ve owned up and apologized for them,” said Boebert. “It’s tested my faith, my strength, and my abilities both as a mom and a congresswoman. It’s been humbling and challenging, but it’s also given me perspective and helped me grow.”
Earlier this year, Boebert divorced her husband after 20 years, then engaged in a short but tumultuous relationship with a Democrat who owns an LGBT-friendly bar. They were captured on video engaging in intimate behavior during the musical “Beetlejuice,” and they were eventually booted from the theater for vaping and being loud.
One video appeared to show the Colorado Republican groping her date and him doing the same to her, which may have violated public decency laws in the state, though she won’t be charged, according to Newsweek.
“All future date nights have been canceled,” Boebert told a photographer for TMZ in Washington, D.C., after the incident. “And I learned to check party affiliations before you go on a date, but all in all, you know… it was mostly a lovely time, and you know, I’ve taken responsibility for my actions.”
Quinn Gallagher, Boebert’s date, is reportedly a registered Democrat and the co-owner of a bar that has featured drag queen shows. The Colorado Republican has criticized the hosting of drag shows that also include children in the audience.
She said she and Quinn had “peacefully” parted ways, adding that the departure had “nothing to do” with anything reported about him. Rather, the issue was his status as a “private citizen.”
“Great man, great friend, and I wish him all the best,” she said, adding, “There’s a lot of folks who are certainly understanding, and they understand that it was part of my personal life, my private time, something that I rarely indulge in.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert speaks out about her now-viral theater date night 👀 Watch the full video here: https://t.co/ePwTuPjhXN pic.twitter.com/emsAPlGWJR
— TMZ (@TMZ) September 18, 2023
