After barely winning re-election last year, Rep. Lauren Boebert has decided to run again next year–but not in her own district. The MAGA-fied Republican announced on Facebook yesterday that she won’t run in Colorado’s third Congressional district but instead in the neighboring fourth district.
“I did not arrive at this decision easily,” Boebert said. “A lot of prayer, a lot of tough conversations and a lot of perspective convinced me that this is the best way I can continue to fight for Colorado, for the conservative movement and for my children’s future.”
What Boebert left unsaid was that she was also heading to almost certain defeat in her current district. Her likely Democratic opponent was outraising her three-to-one and most of her constituents didn’t like her. Boebert had won re-election by just 546 votes in a solid Republican district.
Instead of buckling down and redeeming herself as a capable public servant, Boebert has spent the past year solidifying her reputation as one of the most clownish members of Congress.
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She got into a high-profile public feud with fellow circus colleague Marjorie Taylor Greene. She was repeatedly schooled byfellow members of Congress after she regularly embarassed herself with her ignorance during hearings and speeches. Her anti-LGBTQ rants continued unabated, with Boebert misgendering government officials, calling Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg a “DEI sympathy hire,” and defaming LGBTQ people as “degenerates.”
All of that was bad enough. But Boebert really strangled her own campaign for her antics during a performance of the musical Beetlejuice in Denver last September. Boebert and her date were ejected from the theater after members of the audience complained about their behavior. Boebert was caught on camera groping her boyfriend, vaping, singing aloud, and in general ruining the performance for everyone. When staff asked her to leave, she flipped them off and threatened to contact the mayor about the incident. She was later seen twirling down the street, high on life.
As a nice twist to the episode, Boebert’s boyfriend turns out to be a bar owner who has sponsored a drag show at his establishment. Boebert has warned drag queens to stay away from her district, with predictable results.
The Beetlejuice episode was the last straw for Colorado Republicans, who deserted Boebert en masse. Which raises the question: why does she think she can win in another district?
In fact, there’s no good reason to think she can. While the fourth district is even more Republican than her current district, it’s not as if voters there aren’t aware of Boebert’s shenanigans. Moreover, she’s not even a resident of the district yet. (She promises to move there next year.)
There are already at least four candidates vying for the GOP nomination, which is up for grabs with the impending retirement of Rep. Ken Buck. One of them, State Rep. Richard Holtorf, issued a statement saying, “If you can’t win in your home, you can’t win here.”
Boebert may be doing the GOP a big favor by switching districts. Her current district was in play for Democrats solely because of Boebert. Without her on the ticket, the seat is much more likely to remain in Republican hands. While that’s disappointing, at least they won’t be Boebert’s.
A desperate Lauren Boebert decides to run for re-election in a different district