Lauren Boebert loses Colorado House seat to Democrat Eileen Laubacher by under one point

Race call and result

The Associated Press called Colorado's 4th Congressional District for Democrat Eileen Laubacher on 13 November, when she had 48.8% to Republican Lauren Boebert's 47.9%, according to Axios. Libertarian candidate Douglas Mangeris took 3% of the vote. Laubacher was leading by more than 3,000 votes when the race was called, and she had already declared victory on Monday, 9 November. A retired two-star Navy rear admiral who was deployed to Afghanistan, she is the first Democrat elected to Congress from the district in 18 years, according to Axios. Laubacher is a former Republican who registered as a Democrat in 2025. Boebert, who has served three terms, has not conceded.

Eileen Laubacher (D)48.8%

Lauren Boebert (R)47.9%

Douglas Mangeris (L)3%

Eileen Laubacher (D)

48.8 %

Lauren Boebert (R)

47.9 %

Douglas Mangeris (L)

3 %

Data from the article text

Campaign and spending

Democrats spent more than $7 million on advertising in the district, outspending Republicans by 23 to 1, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. Many of the spots focused on Boebert's past scandals, including a 2023 ejection from a Denver theater, and one ad set Laubacher's Navy service and her role as a mother of five against those headlines. Laubacher outraised Boebert by more than 10 to 1 through June, according to Axios. She logged 40,000 miles on her campaign car visiting ranching towns and rural hospitals across eastern Colorado, campaigning on lower costs, an end to President Trump's tariffs and tax cuts for the middle class. Douglas County, a traditionally conservative area, proved decisive: Laubacher had nearly 109,000 votes there as of Monday, about 21,750 more than Boebert, while Republican Ken Buck carried the county by nearly 26,500 votes four years earlier.

In a statement, Laubacher said:

“This campaign was never about party labels. It was about putting people first.”

Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, responded that 'Lauren Boebert's sideshow is over.'

Boebert's response

Boebert has not conceded. Her lawyer, Scott Gessler, said earlier in November that the campaign was 'investigating some very unusual voting patterns', and the New York Times reported that he had suggested Boebert would request a recount. In an interview with NewsNation's Blake Burman on 12 November, Boebert said:

“There are so many different variables, and I'm going to start with policy.”

She pointed to Freedom Caucus fights over FISA warrants and insider trading, and she claimed voters had been 'played by the markets', citing fuel prices in her district without offering evidence for the claim. Boebert has also accused Laubacher of moving into the district and switching parties to run for Congress, and she blamed 'dark money' from Hollywood donors for the race. She has told reporters she does not plan to run for Colorado's 4th District seat in 2028.

Wider midterm context

Democrats regained control of both the House and Senate in the midterm elections, and they now hold seven of Colorado's eight U.S. House seats, according to Axios. As of the New York Times' latest reporting, more than 20 House races were still uncalled. In Alaska and Mississippi, Democratic nominees held narrow leads over Republican incumbents in Senate races. Alaska's ranked-choice tabulation is set for 18 November if neither candidate reaches 50% of the vote. President Trump has complained about the Alaska count and called for votes to be transferred to the Republican incumbent.