Lauren Boebert loses Colorado congressional seat to Democrat Eileen Laubacher

Incumbent Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert was defeated in her re-election bid for Colorado's 4th congressional district, losing to Democrat Eileen Laubacher by a margin of under 1%, according to the Associated Press.

Laubacher, a retired two-star navy rear admiral who served in Afghanistan and on the National Security Council, said, "> I’m honored by the trust the people of Colorado’s fourth district have placed in me. This campaign was never about party labels. It was about putting people first. To those who voted for me, thank you, I will strive to make you proud. To those who didn’t, I’ll fight just as hard for you and hope to earn your support."

The district, spanning Colorado's eastern plains, has historically been a Republican stronghold. Laubacher, who registered as a Democrat in 2025, criticized the Republican Party as “nearly unrecognizable” during a debate with Boebert and emphasized her military and national-security experience.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Suzan DelBene congratulated Laubacher, stating, "> Lauren Boebert’s sideshow is over."

Boebert, a gun-rights advocate who has faced multiple controversies, accused Laubacher of moving to the district and changing parties to run for office. She also claimed that “dark money” from Hollywood personalities was influencing the race, naming Barbra Streisand and Ryan Reynolds as donors.

Boebert's tenure in Congress included disputes over the 2020 election, a request to carry a handgun on the House floor, and a tweet that critics said helped incite the January 6 Capitol attack. She later condemned the attack. In 2023, she was filmed in a public incident at a Denver theater, which led to a public apology and a divorce.

Weeks before the election, Boebert faced an ethics complaint alleging sexual relationships with staffers, allegations she denied as politically motivated.

Despite her alignment with President Donald Trump, Boebert occasionally opposed him, notably calling for the release of the Epstein files. Trump has previously referred to Boebert as a “carpetbagger” and “dumb”. He also vetoed Boebert’s water-project bill, which had passed Congress unanimously, prompting Boebert to criticize the administration’s stance on clean drinking water for rural Colorado.