Political headaches mount for Boebert as she seeks re-election

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) is currently in a political bind as Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), who is up for the seat in November, plans to leave Congress early. There is.

Officials say Boebert is at a disadvantage due to the fact that the special election to fill out Buck’s remaining term will be held on the same day as the full-term primary. Allies opposed to Donald Trump say the move was specifically aimed at hurting Buck. .

Boebert has already come close to losing re-election once in her current district, but some Colorado Republicans say she faces an uphill battle and will continue to seek to remain in Congress. We have to overcome the difficult political situation.

“This is like asking people to split the ticket on steroids,” said Republican political analyst Kelly Maher.

“When you look at ticket splitters, you don’t usually see the same name twice, right?” He added, referring to the fact that it is likely to be included in the

“You’re asking people to vote against a different party. But she says that while the same name is on the list twice, they can’t vote for a completely different person on the ballot. You have to insist that you should. It’s going to be wild.”

Boebert, who currently lives in Colorado’s Western 3rd Congressional District, will maintain her legislative career after announcing late last year that she would change her district and run for Buck’s seat in Colorado’s Eastern 4th District. I am struggling for this.

Buck announced Tuesday that he will leave Congress at the end of next week, earlier than expected.

That triggered a special election to fill Buck’s remaining seat, which Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) set for June 25, the same day as the primary.

Boebert chose not to run in the special election, in part because House Republicans already have a narrow majority, which would have required her to leave her current seat.

Each political party selects candidates to participate in the special election. Given the district’s Republican leanings, he is considered the frontrunner to fill the remainder of Buck’s term, regardless of which Republican candidate is chosen for the special.

Ms. Boebert denounced Ms. Buck’s decision as a “gift to the United Party,” claiming that “the establishment concocted a shambolic backroom deal to rig an election that I won by 25 points.”

Party members agree that Mr. Boebert could not have left his House seat to challenge the special election, which would trigger another special election and give Democrats the current seat. He should have been given the opportunity — and Mr. Boebert still faces the unenviable position of having won the seat, some say.

“Essentially, what Lauren is asking voters to do is vote for someone else in the special election, but then oppose that same person in the primary and vote for her instead. And it’s definitely heavier That’s a problem,” Republican strategist Ryan Lynch said.

Boebert first entered Congress in 2021, defeating former Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Colo.) in the Republican primary. However, in the last election, he narrowly won the Republican-leaning race against Democrat Adam Frisch, which was one of the biggest shocks in the midterm elections.

Frisch is running again for Boebert’s seat and has already raised a significant amount of money. Amid her fears that she would lose to him this time, she chose to change her district. She described her decision to run in the 4th District as a “fresh start” after her divorce from ex-husband Jason Boebert was finalized.

Boebert has battled a number of damaging headlines in recent months. These include being ejected from the musical “Beetlejuice” in Denver after being filmed apparently smoking an e-cigarette and causing a disturbance, and having some issues with her husband. This included an argument that resulted in him receiving a temporary suspension. restraining order against him. She asked that the temporary restraining order be lifted this week.

At the same time, Boebert has received much-needed support from former President Trump and has a clear economic advantage over her opponents.

Boebert’s latest federal campaign filings from the fourth quarter of last year show she raised $540,000 and has nearly $1.3 million in cash on hand this year. Former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg (R), considered one of her toughest opponents, raised $154,000 in her last quarter, leaving her with nearly $151,000 in cash. there were. Businessman Peter Yu had $254,000 in cash on hand, including a $250,000 personal loan.

Ad tracking company AdImpact listed in Xthe platform formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday Boebert entered the race with its first traditional ad buy.

“My point is, we’re going to continue to make it clear that this congresswoman is going to win the support of Republican primary voters on the 25th.” [of June]. She has a proven conservative background,” Boebert campaign manager Drew Sexton said.

Sexton also dismissed recent headlines about the congresswoman, insisting that these events do not define her performance in Congress. Sexton has convened delegates from around the district and participated in dozens of forums, events and Lincoln Day dinners, she said.

“Four years of being an absolute conservative on every issue in terms of voting Coloradans, and really Americans, is not going to go away because of one event, and people are going to understand that. Her work hasn’t slowed down,” Sexton said, noting that her Pueblo employment law was signed into law as part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Some Republicans believe that special elections favor the Republican candidate but do not make that person the winner.

Former Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dick Wadhams suggested that whoever is chosen as the nominee “will have some advantage,” but added, “I’m not trying to overstate it.”

Not only is Boebert trying to convince Republicans that she has changed but still deserves their vote, she is also trying to convince them that they should elect her in an entirely new district. They also have difficult tasks. During the Republican primary debate in January, some candidates called her a “carpetbagger.”

Baca County Republican Party Chairman Larry Forgey said the sentiment he hears about Boebert from around the county seems to be mixed.

“We’re happy to have Lauren Boebert on board. She’s doing well, and that’s very important,” said Forgie, whose county is in the southeastern corner of the state.

“I’m in the middle because I want someone who will stand up and support me and support me and keep the Constitution intact. And that’s what she’s done. Now I’m grateful for that.” he said.

“I think there are a couple of other candidates who would do that, but I’d rather commit to that than anything else,” he added. “But at the same time, we want them to know who we are.”