Laubacher dominates Colorado's 4th Congressional District Democratic primary
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Democrat Eileen Laubacher defeated write-in candidate Jenna Preston on Tuesday, setting up a November showdown with Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado's 4th Congressional District.
The big picture: Laubacher handily won, according to the Colorado Secretary of State's office.
Why it matters: Laubacher, a former Republican from Highlands Ranch, gives Democrats the kind of crossover profile they think could appeal to moderate Republicans and right-leaning independents in one of Colorado's deepest-red congressional districts.
Zoom in: Colorado's 4th Congressional District stretches across eastern Colorado and includes Arapahoe County's eastern edge.
State of play: Laubacher served as a senior defense official and on former President Biden's National Security Council.
- A U.S. Naval Academy graduate, she also home-schooled her five children.
Follow the money: Laubacher had more than $3 million cash on hand as of June 10, according to Federal Election Commission data.
- Boebert previously posted relatively weak fundraising numbers and trails her challenger.
Reality check: Boebert, a Windsor Republican, won the district by nearly 12 percentage points in 2024.
- That's still well below the margins Republicans have traditionally posted in the district.
The intrigue: Once a MAGA darling, Boebert crossed Trump this year when she backed Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, who lost his primary to a Trump-supported challenger.
- The president threatened to tank Boebert's endorsement and called her "dumb."
- Boebert later posted on social media she "will be America First, America Always, and MAGA."
Between the lines: Democrats hope Laubacher's military background and Republican roots could give moderate Republicans and right-leaning independents fed up with Boebert and Trump permission to cross party lines.
The bottom line: Laubacher's primary runaway gives Democrats a plausible candidate in an unforgiving district. The question now is whether her résumé can beat Republican math.