Rep. Lauren Boebert will win Republican primary in Colorado, CNN projects, after fleeing to safer district

By Eric Bradner, CNN

(CNN) — Rep. Lauren Boebert will win the Republican primary in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, CNN projects, after fleeing a stiff challenge in the district she has represented for two terms.

Boebert, a MAGA firebrand who barely won reelection to the 3rd District in Colorado’s Western Slope in 2022, announced in January that she would run for the open 4th District seat being vacated by Republican Ken Buck in the eastern part of the state.

Buck, a fifth-term lawmaker and House Freedom Caucus member, resigned in March after lambasting his fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill for parroting former President Donald Trump’s lies about widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

His resignation triggered a special election to fill the remaining months of his term – though Boebert opted not to run in that election, which also took place Tuesday.

Republican Greg Lopez, the former mayor of Parker, will defeat Democrat Trisha Calvarese in the special election, CNN projects, and will serve through January. Lopez did not run in the regular primary, which drew six Republicans, including Boebert.

Boebert first entered the national political consciousness in 2020 with her upset primary win over Republican Rep. Scott Tipton. She will be the heavy favorite to win a third term from her new district, which Trump would have carried by about 19 points in 2020 under its current lines. (The 3rd District, which she currently represents, also leans Republican, but Trump would have carried it by a narrower 8 points.)

Boebert has faced accusations of carpetbagging since switching districts. She has said the decision to relocate was based on personal reasons – namely, wanting a fresh start following a messy and public divorce. She quickly established herself as the front-runner for the GOP nod in the 4th District after winning a Republican nominating assembly in April and with it, the top spot on the ballot.

Boebert’s decision to move avoided a repeat of her hard-fought 2022 race against Democrat Adam Frisch in what was the narrowest general election victory for a House Republican that year. Frisch is making a second bid for Congress and ran unopposed in the Democratic primary Tuesday.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

The-CNN-Wire
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