Laubacher upsets in Colorado's conservative 4th District
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Congresswoman-elect Eileen Laubacher hugs a supporter on Election Night in Highlands Ranch. Photo: Hyoung Chang/Getty
In a stunning upset, Democrat Eileen Laubacher has unseated Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado's traditionally conservative 4th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.
Why it matters: Laubacher is the district's first Democrat elected to Congress in 18 years, flipping a longtime Republican stronghold and ousting one of President Trump's longtime allies.
- Democrats now control seven of Colorado's eight U.S. House seats, further cementing their dominance of the state's congressional delegation.
State of play: Laubacher won 48.8% to Boebert's 47.9%, per AP as of Friday.
- Libertarian candidate Douglas Mangeris captured 3% of the vote.
The big picture: Laubacher, a former home-school mother and a retired two-star Navy rear admiral from Highlands Ranch, succeeded where Democrats have repeatedly fallen short.
- A former Republican, she leaned on her national security credentials, fiscal conservatism and moderate messaging to woo voters.
- Boebert emphasized tighter border security, tougher immigration enforcement, more domestic energy production and less federal spending.
Zoom in: Douglas County played the pivotal role in Laubacher's win.
- As of Friday afternoon, Laubacher had captured nearly 109,600 votes in the traditionally conservative county — roughly 22,056 more than Boebert.
- Just four years ago, Republican Ken Buck handily won Douglas County by nearly 26,500 votes.
Flashback: Democrat Betsy Markey won the 4th District in 2008 — another Democratic wave election.
- Yes, but: She lost her reelection bid two years later.
Follow the money: Laubacher outraised Boebert more than 10-to-1 through June, turning a typically safe Republican seat into an unexpectedly competitive race.
Zoom out: Laubacher was just one part of a Democratic wave that has remade the nation's political landscape.
- Democrats wiped out Republicans in the midterms and regained control over both the House and Senate.
What's next: Boebert told reporters Wednesday outside the U.S. Capitol that she doesn't plan to run in 2028 for Colorado's 4th Congressional District
What we're watching: Her attorney, Scott Gessler, said in a statement last week: "We are investigating some very unusual voting patterns…"
The bottom line: Laubacher is already at the House's freshman orientation after ending Boebert's six-year run in Congress.