DENVER — Despite it all – controversy, convoluted non-apologies and scandals – U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert took an early lead over Democratic challenger Adam Frisch after polls closed Tuesday night and appears to be headed for a second term in Congress.
Early and unofficial election results show that Boebert, a Republican from Silt, beat her Democratic challenger, Adam Frisch, of Aspen, 53% to 47% as of 7:20 p.m. Tuesday, the Secretary of State’s Office reported. So far, 89,962 votes had been counted.
Boebert swept into office in 2020 after unseating incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton in the Republican primary and beating out former state Rep. Diane Mitsch Bush in the general election. Her first term has been marred by accusations of corruption and a string of controversies following the high-profile and bombastic congresswoman. Still, she enjoys widespread support throughout her sprawling district, made even more conservative by congressional redistricting.
Frisch, a former Aspen City Council member, started his campaign slowly but eventually garnered national attention and toward the end of the race even outpaced Boebert’s fundraising. Still, the gap between Frisch and the incumbent may have been too wide to close.
Boebert’s popularity with Republicans across the country bolstered an already strong fundraising mechanism and few can compete with her social media prowess, controversial though it may be. More than 2 million people follow the congresswoman on Twitter along, helping to share her often scathing and controversial comments, particularly those lambasting President Joe Biden.
Not only is Boebert part of Congress’ minority party at the moment but she’s also part of an ultra-conservative sect of the Republican Party, which doesn’t always work well with fellow members of the GOP. She’s spread conspiracy theories and still supports former President Donald Trump even as he continues to spread falsehoods and misinformation about the 2020 presidential election. Leading up to Tuesday’s election, Boebert repeatedly avoided saying whether she’d concede if she lost the race.
As a member of the minority party, Boebert has not been able to pass any legislation in Congress, instead touting her bullhorn for conservative values, a point that lands well with Western Slope voters. She’s constantly targeted Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and promised to “fire” the Democratic leader, if Republicans control a majority of the chamber during the next term.
High-profile controversies, gaffes and scandals punctuated Boebert’s first term more than policy successes (she’s yet to pass a single law). State officials are investigating whether the congresswoman broke any laws by cashing in on large amounts of mileage reimbursements from her own campaign coffers.
A congressional aide testified earlier this year that Boebert met with then-President Donald Trump’s White House officials ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, while they discussed what options the vice president had when faced with certifying the 2020 election.
Boebert received heavy criticism after claiming that women are “weaker” than men and “need masculinity” to balance out that so-called weakness. She was falsely accused of shooting her neighbor’s dogs and was dragged into a small-town drama in Silt after her husband confronted and frightened their neighbors.
The most worrisome for religious and political experts, however, is Boebert’s Christian nationalist rhetoric, calling for a religious takeover of America. Those oft-repeated comments endanger the country’s democratic foundations, those experts warn.
But Boebert shows no signs of contrition nor is she losing momentum. Her constituents clearly favor her candor and before beating Frisch she easily held back a primary challenge from the more moderate Republican state Sen. Don Coram.
Although Boebert’s not known for her policy proposals, her district faces multiple, serious challenges moving forward.
The ongoing megadrought within the Colorado River Basin is drying water supply for the Western Slope, harming agriculture and its supporting industries. Wildfires threaten parched areas throughout the district and a continued national push away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy sources is threatening the oil and gas industry.
Depending on the outcome of other congressional races across the country, Boebert might have a better chance of passing legislation for her district in the coming term. If Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House the congresswoman’s voice might hold even more weight because the party will need her vote on contentious proposals.
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