Laubacher leads Boebert by 3,237 votes in Colorado 4th District race

Eileen Laubacher declared victory Monday in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, overtaking incumbent Rep. Lauren Boebert by a margin of 3,237 votes. CNN projected Laubacher would win the race, though the Associated Press had not yet called it as of Monday afternoon. The victory ends a 53-year streak in which the district, the most Republican-leaning in the state, was held by a Republican for multiple consecutive terms.

With 98% of votes counted, Laubacher held 48.8% of the total to Boebert’s 47.9%. The gap is wider than the 929-vote threshold required for an automatic recount. Officials are still processing ballots from military members and overseas voters, a process expected to conclude by Thursday. Voters with signature discrepancies also have until that date to cure their ballots.

Laubacher, a retired Navy rear admiral and former Republican, moved to Highlands Ranch two years ago. She described herself as a moderate who does not align with the radical wing of the Democratic Party. In an interview with The Denver Post, she said she intends to serve by listening to constituents and delivering changes that improve their lives. She stated she would work across party lines to pass legislation on tariffs, the Iran conflict, and corruption.

Boebert had not conceded as of Monday. Her campaign attorney, Scott Gessler, told Colorado Public Radio last week that the team is investigating unusual voting patterns and expects the race to result in a recount. The incumbent’s staff did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.

The race was shaped by tensions between Boebert and President Donald Trump. Trump called Boebert a carpetbagger in May but endorsed her three days before the election. Boebert had lost favor with the president after voting to release Jeffrey Epstein files and opposing a veto on a rural water bill. The district, which spans the Eastern Plains and parts of metro Denver, leaned 27 percentage points toward Republicans earlier this decade.

Libertarian candidate Doug Mangeris received 12,600 votes, a total exceeding the margin between the top two candidates. Mangeris, a construction superintendent from Loveland, said he preferred Boebert but viewed both major parties as failing constituents. His mother, Lori Korman, noted the lack of visible campaigning from Boebert’s side during the final weeks of the election.

Laubacher was in Washington, D.C. on Monday for new member orientation while the final votes were tallied. She carried urban areas including Douglas and Arapahoe counties, while Boebert led in rural counties such as Weld.