Boebert and Laubacher jab over CD-4
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (left) and challenger Eileen Laubacher debated this week. Photo: AAron Ontiveroz/Getty
Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert and Democratic challenger Eileen Laubacher faced off this week in their only debate before voters in Colorado's 4th Congressional District head to the polls.
Why it matters: It was a rare chance to size up the candidates in a race that's drawn unusual attention for a Republican stronghold.
Yes, but: Their hourlong showdown broke little new ground.
State of play: The candidates sparred over their records, political loyalties and judgment Monday night, while finding occasional common ground.
Catch up quick: I never said there'd be a quiz…
- …yet here we are.
✅ Who called Trump's Iran war "detrimental on many levels"?
- Boebert.
✅ Who said "I do" when asked whether President Trump deserves credit for securing the southern border?
- Laubacher.
✅ Who said they didn't "want us to waste two more years trying to impeach the president"?
- Laubacher.
✅ Who opposed cheaper beef from Trump's increased Argentine imports at the expense of Eastern Plains ranchers?
- Boebert.
Friction point: Some body blows landed.
- Boebert challenged Laubacher's recent switch from Republican to unaffiliated to Democrat.
- Laubacher pressed Boebert's criticism of the Iran war, pointing to her repeated votes against congressional efforts to stop it.
Swing and miss? Both faced questions that tested their political positions.
- Boebert dismissed congressional efforts to end the war as "symbolic."
- Laubacher pitched herself as a moderate willing to challenge both parties but wouldn't name a Democrat she considers extreme.
🔎 The intrigue: Laubacher moved to Highlands Ranch in 2024 but kept her former Littleton-area home outside the district as a rental. Debate moderator Kyle Clark said her political donation records listed her former address as recently as August.
Clark questioned Boebert's often-confrontational behavior, including her 2023 ejection from a Denver theater.
- She said she favors an approach to "disagree better" but didn't specify whether she'd changed her ways.
💰 Follow the money: Neither candidate bragged about her financial wizardry.
- Boebert's most recent financial disclosure listed no reportable assets. "[D]ivorce is hard," she said.
- Laubacher — discussing her husband's 401(k) — said, "[W]e never move that money because we don't know what we're doing financially."
🤝 They criticized former President Biden's border policies and supported bans on congressional stock trading.
The big picture: Laubacher's outraised Boebert, but most election forecasters still consider CD-4 Republican-friendly.
What we're watching: New campaign finance reports are due Thursday.
- Election Day's Nov. 3.