{"id":29881,"date":"2024-01-05T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-05T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/rep-boebert-heads-to-district-4-peddling-a-familiar-pitch\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T01:05:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:05:58","slug":"rep-boebert-heads-to-district-4-peddling-a-familiar-pitch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/rep-boebert-heads-to-district-4-peddling-a-familiar-pitch\/","title":{"rendered":"Rep. Boebert heads to District 4 peddling a familiar pitch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Rep.
Rep. Lauren Boebert delivers a speech on Oct. 28, 2023, in Towaoc at the Montezuma County Lincoln Day Dinner at the Ute Mountain Casino Hotel. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald file)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

When U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert said her decision to exit the race in Colorado\u2019s 3rd Congressional District and run in the 4th was an opportunity for \u201ca fresh start,\u201d she wasn\u2019t talking about politics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fresh start is really in regards to my personal life. There\u2019s definitely been some changes,\u201d Boebert said, referring to a turbulent divorce last year.<\/p>\n

The conservative firebrand plunged house races in both the 3rd and 4th districts into unknown and unexpected waters on Dec. 27 <\/a>when she announced in a Facebook video that she is now running to represent District 4.<\/p>\n

When it comes to the boisterous, controversial and, at times, combative persona Boebert has built in the four years since she announced her run<\/a> for Congress in District 3, District 4 voters should not expect anything different.<\/p>\n

In a chipper interview Thursday with The Durango Herald<\/em>, the congresswoman said she will continue to \u201cbe a loud advocate\u201d for her signature causes, which include fiscal responsibility, limited government, immigration policy and \u201cour God-given rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boebert and her campaign manager, Drew Sexton, are leaning hard into matters of state and national appeal as she begins to foray in Colorado\u2019s Eastern Plains.<\/p>\n

And with respect to 3rd District conservatives, Boebert said the switch up was in their best interest.<\/p>\n

\"Rep.
Rep. Lauren Boebert will move from her home in Silt, located in Colorado\u2019s 3rd Congressional District, to the 4th District, where she is now seeking election.<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
\u2018On-the-job training\u2019 in the 4th District<\/div>\n

Although she is not required to do so legally, Boebert said she will move from her home in Silt to the 4th District, where she is \u201cactively in the market\u201d for a home.<\/p>\n

District 3 covers Colorado\u2019s Western Slope and extends east past Pueblo. District 4 covers the eastern plans and extends as far west as Douglas County.<\/p>\n

When she does make the move, she will have one obvious jet stream at her back: name recognition and, presumably, money. She had $1.4 million in cash as of Sept. 30.<\/p>\n

Boebert has highlighted what she sees as similarities between the two districts: Both are rural and composed of agricultural-based communities. She is also banking on the reputation she has built to appeal to voters in District 4.<\/p>\n

A week after launching a District 4 campaign, her pitch is rooted less in her new stumping grounds and more in conservative issues of state or national interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrassroots conservatives in the 4th have seen me fight for their freedoms in Congress and proudly defend their conservative principles,\u201d Boebert said. \u201cThis is something I have a proven track record of doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

She takes credit for several accomplishments, including changes to House operating procedures (which, as some suspected<\/a>, have proved to be partially symbolic). Her first bill, the Pueblo Jobs Act, was signed into law last month<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But mostly, Boebert\u2019s pitch to District 4 voters parrots boiler plate conservative talking points: \u201chardworking Coloradans who are affected by inflation, by the Biden Administration, they are affected by the reckless spending in Washington, D.C., the interest rates are affecting them and this is something they feel where it matters most \u2013 their pocketbooks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her introduction of articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden impacts not just 3rd District voters, Sexton pointed out, but all of Colorado and the nation.<\/p>\n

Rather than specific 4th District issues, Boebert hammers what might be considered an indisputable fact: She\u2019s a known commodity, even if what is \u201cknown\u201d is that she is unpredictable (the state GOP chairman was informed of her switch hours before the announcement, he said).<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people get on the campaign trail and they campaign one way, but then get elected and govern another way,\u201d Boebert said. \u201cAnd I have a track record of doing what I promised the people what I would do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The congresswoman struggled to offer detailed differentiation between the two districts; representing a district with a large urban area, referring to Douglas County, was the only major distinction between districts 3 and 4 she offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy job is on-the-job training,\u201d the congresswoman said, when asked what she might have to learn about the 4th District.<\/p>\n

\"Rep.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., talks with supporters while holding her grandson Josiah Boebert, 6 months, on Oct. 28, 2023, in Towaoc at the Montezuma County Lincoln Day Dinner at the Ute Mountain Casino Hotel. \u201cI\u2019m doing everything that I can for the conservative movement to remain a strong voice in Washington, D.C., and to ensure that the 3rd District stays red,\u201d she told The Durango Herald. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald file)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
\u2018I am protecting my voters\u2019<\/div>\n

Boebert\u2019s 2022 race was unexpectedly tight. She eked out a victory over Democrat Adam Frisch by just 546 votes in a district where Republicans have a nine percentage point advantage.<\/p>\n

She says her move to the 4th District, where the party has a 27% advantage, is in the best interest of the conservative movement. The district\u2019s current representative, Republican Ken Buck, announced he will not seek reelection this year citing extremism within the party.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m doing everything that I can for the conservative movement to remain a strong voice in Washington, D.C., and to ensure that the 3rd District stays red,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The way Boebert sees it, Frisch is running on \u201can anti-Lauren Boebert campaign only.\u201d With another likely showdown with Frisch on the horizon, her move to District 4 pulls the platform out from under him.<\/p>\n

In an October interview <\/a>with the Herald<\/em>, Boebert was resistant to the idea that she had blown her chances in 2024. She was on a part-fundraising part-apology tour of the 3rd District after a scandalous night at the Buell Theater in Denver, during which security cameras caught her vaping and being groped by her date.<\/p>\n

She did not offer any concrete evidence that anything in the campaign had changed since then.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat has changed is the $10 million that has come into the 3rd District to buy this seat,\u201d she said, referencing an estimate of Frisch\u2019s 2023 fundraising totals, as well as Rocky Mountain Values\u2019 spending on ads targeting her.<\/p>\n

Neither Frisch nor Boebert have released fundraising totals Sept. 30, and fourth quarter reports are due Jan. 31. Rocky Mountain Values is a dark-money group that does not disclose its donors.<\/p>\n

Critics, such as former GOP state chairman Dick Wadhams, say the move is a Hail Mary attempt to retain a spot, any spot, in Congress.<\/p>\n

\u201cPolitical self-preservation and remaining in public office are now her priorities,\u201d he wrote in column in The Gazette<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Boebert\u2019s claims that \u201cHollywood elites\u201d are funding Frisch are not entirely baseless. Names including Rob Reiner, Ryan Reynolds and Morgan Freeman all show up on his donor list.<\/a><\/p>\n

But the scope of their impacts \u2013 $3,300, $1,500 and $250, respectively \u2013 might not be as big as the congresswoman would like voters to think. Still, it\u2019s the line she is sticking to.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am protecting my voters in this move,\u201d she said, arguing that with her out of the race, the flow of outside money will run dry.<\/p>\n

Of the $7.7 million Frisch raised in 2023, 12% came from within Colorado. By comparison, 17% of Boebert\u2019s $2.4 million raised came from within the state.<\/p>\n

\"Rep.
Rep. Lauren Boebert delivers a speech on Oct. 28, 2023, in Towaoc at the Montezuma County Lincoln Day Dinner at the Ute Mountain Casino Hotel. \u201cI am protecting my voters in this move,\u201d she said of her decision to run in Colorado\u2019s 4th Congressional District this year. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald file)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
\u2018We don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen\u2019<\/div>\n

Russ Andrews, one of two leading candidates for the Republican nomination in the 3rd District, says that a Republican who isn\u2019t Lauren Boebert has a good chance at winning the seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Lauren\u2019s problems are of Lauren\u2019s making,\u201d he told the Herald<\/em> after her announcement.<\/p>\n

Although the switch may be a savvy choice for Boebert\u2019s political ambitions, GOP Chairman Dave Williams is concerned about the party\u2019s ability to retain a majority in the House of Representatives. Like Boebert\u2019s constituents, Williams was blindsided by the announcement and a hint of saltiness emerged when discussing the matter.<\/p>\n

The way Williams sees it, a Republican will almost certainly win District 4. But any Republican who isn\u2019t Lauren Boebert may struggle in District 3.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know are going to have a nominee that is not as well known, that doesn\u2019t have as much money or the ability to fundraise as much money as Lauren Boebert did,\u201d Williams said. \u201cSo from a party chair\u2019s perspective, we\u2019re going to have to spend more money, more resources and more effort boosting a nominee that doesn\u2019t have as great of a name ID.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rep.
Rep. Lauren Boebert delivers a speech on Oct. 28, 2023, in Towaoc at the Montezuma County Lincoln Day Dinner at the Ute Mountain Casino Hotel. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald file)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

In contrast with Boebert\u2019s prediction that her exit denies Frisch of a platform, Williams predicts the Democrat will use the momentum to leverage more donations.<\/p>\n

Williams is not convinced Boebert will have a smooth path to victory in District 4, where she will face several respected opponents. Despite previous victories over so-called establishment Republicans, Williams cast doubt on her ability to overcome a \u201cpretty salacious controversy.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, he says, \u201cif anyone can do it, Lauren Boebert can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s got to convince Congressional District 4 voters why it\u2019s appropriate for her to leave Congressional District 3 and represent a completely different geographical, and I think, cultural constituency,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Boebert says she\u2019s keeping it neutral, at least when it comes to low-stakes arenas such as 8-man football. When asked to choose between rivals Mancos, a District 3 town, and Haxtun, a District 4 town, Boebert said, \u201cI might just be this all-inclusive, tolerant Lauren Boebert, just rooting for the winner and the loser.\u201d<\/p>\n

rschafir@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI\u2019m doing everything that I can for the conservative movement to remain a strong voice in Washington, D.C.,\u201d she said in an interview<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29882,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[120,981,266,28,299,826,265,1304,367],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-29881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-colorado","tag-colorado-3rd-congressional-district","tag-election","tag-headlines","tag-national-elections","tag-political-campaigns","tag-politics","tag-republican-party","tag-u-s-rep-lauren-boebert"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29881"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80901,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29881\/revisions\/80901"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29881"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=29881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}