Laubacher leads Boebert in Colorado 4th District as votes remain uncounted

Eileen Laubacher led incumbent U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert by approximately 5,000 votes at midnight on Tuesday in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District. With an estimated 80 percent of ballots counted, Laubacher, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, held 49.3 percent of the vote, while Boebert had 47.7 percent. The race was deemed too close to call as officials continued to process remaining ballots in a district that has historically favored Republicans.

Laubacher, 58, is a former Republican running for office for the first time. She served 34 years in the Navy, including a deployment to Afghanistan and a role as an intelligence officer. She retired as a rear admiral in 2024 after working on South Asia policy under President Joe Biden. Through mid-October, she raised $13.7 million, significantly outpacing Boebert, who raised $1.2 million. A super PAC supporting Democrats spent $1.5 million on the race, while a group tied to the House Freedom Caucus spent about $450,000 for the incumbent.

Boebert, 39, was first elected to the 4th District in 2024 after moving to Windsor. She previously represented the 3rd District for two terms. Her path to the current seat followed a public incident in 2023 where she was escorted out of a performance of the musical “Beetlejuice.” She won the 3rd District in 2022 by 546 votes and was reelected in 2024 by 11 percentage points. This fall, attack ads revived the theater incident, and Boebert also appeared in court to seek leniency for her son, who faced charges of child abuse and sexual exploitation.

President Donald Trump endorsed Boebert four days before the election, calling her a “MAGA Warrior” in a social media post and holding a telephone rally for her. This support came five months after Trump had described Boebert as “dumb” and “weak-minded” because she campaigned for Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a Trump critic.

During the campaign, the candidates clashed on veterans, immigration, and Medicaid. Laubacher criticized Boebert for voting against four bills supporting veterans, including the PACT Act. On immigration, Laubacher argued for a path to permanent residency for hardworking people paying taxes. Boebert stated that if a person is in the country illegally, they have to leave. Regarding Medicaid work requirements, Boebert said able-bodied adults should not sit at home receiving benefits meant for more vulnerable populations, while Laubacher said the paperwork demands were excessive and causing people to lose coverage.

On election night, Boebert held a watch party at a Windsor sports bar, where she danced to a country band before the venue shut down shortly after 10 p.m. In Highlands Ranch, Laubacher supporters gathered at a town center pub, eating burgers and fries while watching returns on multiple televisions. Krischele Gill, a stay-at-home mother who knocked on more than 1,200 doors for Laubacher, said voters are tired of the chaos Boebert brings to the district and Congress. Gill described Laubacher as the adult in the room who is willing to hold people accountable.

The Libertarian candidate, Douglas Mageris, received 3 percent of the vote. The district spans the Eastern Plains, Douglas County, and Loveland. Laubacher’s supporters waited until midnight for a final call, hoping another round of election returns would secure a victory.