Boebert switches districts in bid to stay in Congress

Representative Lauren Boebert, a far-right House Republican, announced on Wednesday she would run in a more conservative district in Colorado — seeking to increase her chances after a strong primary challenger emerged in her district.

The move — from the Third Congressional District to the Fourth — will thrust Boebert into a crowded primary to succeed Representative Ken Buck, a conservative who is not seeking reelection. She has fervently promoted false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. Buck attributed his decision not to run in part to the widespread belief in his party of these false claims — as well as to the refusal of many of his Republican colleagues to condemn the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.

In a video posted on social media, Boebert said that the move was a “fresh start,” alluding to a “pretty difficult year for me and my family,” pointing to her divorce. “It’s the right move for me personally, and it’s the right decision for those who support our conservative movement,” Boebert said.

In September, then in the midst of finalizing the divorce, she was caught on a security camera vaping and groping her date shortly before being ejected from a performance of the musical “Beetlejuice” for causing a disturbance.

A primary challenger has since emerged with significant backers among prominent former Republican officials in the state. Jeff Hurd, a 44-year-old lawyer from Grand Junction, has been endorsed by former governor Bill Owens. The editorial board of the Colorado Springs Gazette also endorsed Hurd over Boebert this month.

Colorado’s Fourth District is significantly more conservative than the Third, and securing the Republican nomination would place Boebert in a strong position to win in a seat where Buck earned 60 percent of the vote in 2022. Boebert barely won reelection that year, pulling ahead of her Democratic opponent, Adam Frisch, by roughly 500 votes.