Republican Jeff Hurd has won the Colorado U.S. House of Representatives seat vacated by Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert. This fulfilled the congresswoman’s hope that her mid-election departure would make it easier for another Republican to hold the seat that she almost lost in 2022.
Hurd, softer than Boebert and adhering to an older Republican tradition, defeated Adam Frisch, the Democrat who nearly dethroned Boebert two years ago in the 3rd Congressional District, which covers the state’s Rocky Mountains. Hurd led by about 11,500 votes Thursday in unofficial results — a much larger margin than the 546 votes Boebert won in 2022. Boebert won in the 4th Congressional District on Tuesday.
Hurd campaigned on a platform that focused on rural jobs and the cost of living, along with more national issues such as border security.
He overcame a massive fundraising deficit against Frisch, who had one of the largest U.S. House of Representatives campaign chests in the country. Frisch’s contributions were fueled by donations from across the country from Democrats who hated Boebert. Frisch is a businessman and former city councilman in Aspen.
Frisch said in a phone call that former and incoming President Donald Trump’s landslide victory this week posed a challenge to his own prospects in the historically Republican-leaning district.
“You can only swim against the current so much,” he said. As for whether Frisch would have won had Boebert not abandoned the race, he noted, “Do I think we would have beaten Boebert?” Yes. Can I guarantee that? No.”
Boebert is a staunch Trump loyalist and a firebrand who has helped define an ultraconservative flank of the House of Representatives. She left the race to run in the 4th District, a Republican stronghold spanning the Great Plains, saying she didn’t want to give Democrats a chance to “buy” the 3rd District seat.
Boebert’s move came after Frisch nearly defeated her two years ago. She was later caught on tape vaping and groping a date at a Denver theater, which even stirred up loyal supporters.
Boebert justified her district change, saying, “There is a need for my voice in Congress.”
She later said she wanted a fresh start for her family after a messy and public divorce.
After successfully weathering a packed Republican primary, avoiding a surprise political threat with some behind-the-scenes maneuvering, Boebert is now the incumbent in a safely red seat previously held by conservative Republican Rep. Ken Buck.
When Bok resigned Earlier this year, he tore into the party’s flank known for its hard-nosed politics and unwavering commitment to Trump — qualities that made Boebert a brand name.
Hurd’s victory also confirmed Boebert’s hopes that her action would allow Republicans to retain control of the district that first elected her in 2020.
Boebert has been criticized for her hardline politics – thwarting January 2023 vote to elect Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House of Representatives, for example – but has said her actions are aimed at delivering on the promises she made during the campaign.