Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Lauren Boebert speaking in Collbran, Colorado, in October. Photo: Hyoung Chang/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Republican gun-rights activist Lauren Boebert defeated Democrat Diane Mitsch Bush in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.
Why it matters: Boebert, a first-time candidate who defeated five-term GOP incumbent Rep. Scott Tipton in the state's June primary, has expressed support for the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory, saying in May she hopes it "is real."
Context: QAnon is a far-right conspiracy theory that purports without proof that posts by an anonymous internet user from within the federal government are alluding to a secret war that the "deep state" is waging against President Trump.
- Boebert told Axios in July that she does not follow QAnon, but is "glad the IG and the AG are investigating deep state activities that undermine the President." It remains unclear what investigation Boebert was referring to.
The big picture: Her victory demonstrates how a fringe online forum built on unsubstantiated claims is gaining a foothold in the U.S. political mainstream, though some sitting Republican members of Congress, like Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.), have denounced the conspiracy theory outright.
- Online conspiracies like QAnon has been flagged by the FBI as a domestic terrorism threat.
- QAnon conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene also won House race in Georgia.
Go deeper: QAnon conspiracy theory explodes ahead of the election