by Rep. Lauren Boebert, a far-right House Republican, announced Wednesday that she would run in a more conservative Colorado district, seeking to boost her chances after a strong primary challenger emerged in her district.
The move (from the Third Congressional District to the Fourth) will thrust Boebert into a crowded primary to replace Rep. Ken Buck, a conservative who is not seeking re-election. He has fervently promoted false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald J. Trump. Buck attributed his decision not to run in part to his party’s widespread belief in these false claims, as well as the refusal of many of his Republican colleagues to condemn the January 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mafia.
In a video published on social networks., Ms. Boebert said the move was a “new beginning,” alluding to a “pretty difficult year for me and my family,” noting her divorce. “It is the right decision for me personally and it is the right decision for those who support our conservative movement,” Ms. Boebert said.
In September, when she was in the midst of finalizing the divorce, a security camera caught her vaping and groping her date shortly before she was kicked out of a performance of the musical “Beetlejuice” for causing a disturbance.
Since then, a primary challenger has emerged with significant supporters among prominent former state Republican officials. Jeff Hurd, a 44-year-old attorney from Grand Junction, has the endorsement of former Gov. Bill Owens and former Sen. Hank Brown. Colorado Springs Gazette Editorial Board also endorsed Mr. Hurd on Ms. Boebert this month.
Hurd, in a statement following Boebert’s announcement, highlighted the support he has received from Republicans across the state and vowed that he will “fight every day to ensure this seat remains in Republican hands.”
Colorado’s Fourth Congressional District is significantly more conservative than the Third, and securing the Republican nomination would put Ms. Boebert in a strong position to win in a seat where Mr. Buck took 60 percent of the vote in 2022 Ms. Boebert barely won. -election that year, leading her Democratic opponent, Adam Frisch, by approximately 500 votes.
Frisch, who is running again in the Third District, said Boebert’s withdrawal from that race changed little for her campaign.
“Since day one of this race, I have been squarely focused on defending the rural Colorado lifestyle,” he said in a statement, adding that “my focus will remain the same.”
An earlier analysis by the Cook Political Report had called the race for Ms. Boebert’s current seat in 2024 a failure. By contrast, the general election race in the Fourth Congressional District is not considered competitive.
The other Republicans running in the primary to replace Buck include two former state senators, Ted Harvey and Jerry Sonnenberg; Richard Holtorf, state representative; Trent Leisy, Navy veteran and business owner; and Deborah Flora, radio host.
Mr. Leisy stated on social media shortly after Ms. Boebert’s announcement that by making the change she was giving Democrats an advantage in the race for her current district.
“Lauren should be a fighter and keep her red district,” Leisy said, adding that she was “running in a district I actually live in.”
Carlos Homans contributed reports.
