Rep. Lauren Boebert fights for political survival amid cascade of controversies

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) is trying to overcome numerous unflattering headlines and allegations of cheating as she tries to win the GOP primary in a new House district this month.

The Colorado firebrand, who represents the 3rd Congressional District in the western part of the state, announced she would run in a new district end of last year. She is now trying to win a a handful of Republican challengers in the June 25 primary for the 4th District in eastern Colorado.

Observers say she is the likely front-runner both in the primary and in November, representing a notable reversal of fortunes for the second-term congresswoman after she was re-elected in 2022 and faced increasing public scrutiny.

“I think a lot of people knew as soon as she entered the race that she was the person to beat,” said Douglas County Republican Party Chairman Steve Peck, who said he was neutral in the primary.

“When she announced that she was going to enter the race, immediately several candidates reached out to me and asked me what I thought, how the campaign changes, because all things being equal, she is a national figure,” he said, adding that Boebert had to “fight and earn the respect” of local Republican leaders and grassroots community activists.

Boebert entered Congress in 2021, unseating a Republican incumbent in the primary for a House seat on the West Slope.

Since then, she has become one of the most polarizing figures in Congress. For several years, Boebert attracted scrutiny and outrage for her actions, like your insinuation Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) was a terrorist – for which she later issued an apology to the Muslim community – or her criticism of President Biden during an annual State of the Union address.

Some of these antics nearly cost her her House seat in 2022, when she was re-elected by just over 500 votes, prompting her to change districts and move to the 4th East District after former Rep. Ken Buck (R -Colorado) announced that he would not seek re-election.

Until a few months ago, there were serious doubts about whether Boebert would return to Congress next year: Buck resigned early, triggering a special election to serve out the remainder of his term — scheduled for the same day as the Republican Party primary for the term. regular period of two years.

Boebert chose not to run in the special election because it would have required her to give up her current congressional seat, triggering a special election to finish out the remainder of her term — a precarious move that would have reduced Republicans’ already thin majority. . But her not running in the special election could have put her at a disadvantage in the regular GOP primary, because voters might have been more likely to vote for the same candidate in both races.

To add to her woes, Boebert was also forced to publicly apologize for an incident last year when she was kicked out of a “Beetlejuice” musical in Denver after she was caught smoking and being disruptive. She also had to dodge attacks from her rivals, who called her an “adventurer” in the new district.

Some of these controversies have weighed on the minds of district Republicans. Gregory Martin, chairman of the Cheyenne County Republican Party, told The Hill that former radio host Deborah Flora and former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg (R) were among his top choices, noting the drama surrounding Boebert.

At the same time, Boebert scored some significant victories: Businessman Greg Lopez, a Republican who won the GOP primary to compete in the special election, said he only wanted to run to fill the remainder of Buck’s term, giving Boebert a better chance. to win the primary for the full term.

The Colorado Republican also got another boost in April when she won 41 percent of delegate votes during the nominations meeting, allowing her to be placed first in the vote over the rest of her competitors.

“It was his audience, it was his base,” said Jeff Hunt, a radio show host and former director of the Centennial Institute think tank at Colorado Christian University, referring to the atmosphere in the room during the nominations assembly.

Boebert also benefits from a crowded field that has inevitably made it difficult for Republicans to unite behind one of his challengers. She also has plenty of ID and cash on hand — not to mention a major endorsement from former President Trump.

Some Republicans are still skeptical of Boebert. Mike Benson, who chairs the Sedgwick County Republican Committee, said the congresswoman was not his “favorite.”

“I just don’t see how she’s really going to represent the farming community,” Benson said.

Other Republicans acknowledge that some of his antics, like the “Beetlejuice” incident, initially damaged his reputation. But many seemed to have moved on from these incidents.

“Not knowing Lauren very well until she got to CD4, I think ‘Beetlejuice’ was something that definitely hurt her,” said Pamela Kuhns-Valdez, chairwoman of the Bent County Republican Party, who saw Boebert at an early party meeting. of the year. week and said it was “very well received”.

“But in retrospect…we are all sinners who fall short of the glory of God,” Kuhns-Valdez said.