Colorado Democrat Eileen Laubacher defeats Rep. Lauren Boebert

Democrat Eileen Laubacher defeated Rep. Lauren Boebert for the Colorado U.S. House seat on Friday. The victory ends the three-term tenure of the Republican representative in the 4th Congressional District.

Laubacher is a former Navy rear admiral. Her win is part of a wider pattern of unexpected defeats for Republican candidates across the country. The results point to what is shaping up as the most lopsided election in fifty years.

Boebert represented a specific style of Republican politics. She owned a gun-themed restaurant called Shooters Grill in Rifle, Colo. She rose to prominence alongside the Make America Great Again movement. In Congress, she became a frequent presence on conservative media and clashed with colleagues, including taunting Rep. Ilhan Omar.

The 4th District remained a strong Republican area, carrying the party by more than 18 percentage points in 2024. Boebert had previously moved to this more Republican district after narrowly surviving her first reelection attempt. Despite that advantage, the district was not safe enough to protect her seat in this year's midterms.

Boebert returned to the Capitol this week to acknowledge the scale of the losses. She stated that the party collectively failed. She added that the American people made it clear they were dissatisfied with the governing experience of this Congress.