GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert wins primary against moderate challenger
- Alayna Alvarez, author of Axios Denver
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) gives remarks during a Save America Rally with former President Trump at the Adams County Fairgrounds on June 25 in Mendon, Illinois. Photo: Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images
Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert — a gun-toting restaurant owner and fervent supporter of former President Trump — has won her first challenge as an incumbent in the state's 3rd Congressional District beating out state Sen. Don Coram, per the AP.
Driving the news: The primary election marked Boebert's first challenge after her surprise win in 2020 and served as a test of whether voters in the mountainous rural district wanted to keep the controversial firebrand in office.
- It's another win for Trump, who had endorsed Boebert last year.
The back story: Boebert overcame a shift from Democrats to unaffiliated voters who wanted to support Boebert's opponent. Numerous political groups took aim at Boebert by supporting Coram, the New York Times reports.
- Boebert has been at the center of numerous controversies since joining Congress but is one of many Republicans who see themselves as "untouchable."
The big picture: The swell of voters crossing party lines in an attempt to tamp down some of the country's most right-leaning candidates is part of a national trend, including in Georgia and Utah.
By the numbers: The 3rd District is definitively Republican — with Trump winning the district in 2020 with 52% of the vote — and the latest congressional maps have pushed the seat even further to the right.
- Boebert's strategy to take hardline stances and position herself as a lightning rod for controversy resulted in a major fundraising advantage.
- She raised $4.6 million in comparison to Coram's $226,000.