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Rep. Lauren Boebert says the Republican Party is “too moderate” after a string of midterm defeats, even though she faces a loss in her own conservative district.
The race in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District — one of the most conservative seats in the state — has not yet been officially called by election officials or major news services. However, CNN’s Decision Desk predicted this week that Democratic challenger Eileen Laubacher, a retired Navy rear admiral who campaigned extensively on affordability, would unseat the three-term congresswoman.
Boebert, 39, refused to concede the race, pointing to the failure to count military and foreign ballots. The expected upset in Colorado reflects a broader night for Democrats, who picked up seats from Kansas to Texas to regain the House majority.
In an interview Tuesday evening, which has since been published on
“A lot of it was about the Senate, so I mean there’s a lot of variables here,” Boebert said, as reported by reporters covering the aftermath of the midterm elections.
Asked directly by a journalist: “Do you think the party should show moderation? Boebert responded, “No, we’re definitely pretty moderate.”
The reporter pressed further, “I mean, you lost from Kansas to Texas,” before asking, “Wait, right?”
“Yes, there are a lot of different types of Republicans who lost,” Boebert responded. “So, I mean, you have a lot of ultraconservatives, and then you have the Fitzpatricks and the Lawlers who are all ultraconservatives, so.”
The congresswoman was referring to Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mike Lawler of New York, two moderate Republicans from swing districts who lost their reelection bids — Fitzpatrick to Democrat Bob Harvie in Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District, and Lawler to Democrat Cait Connelly in New York’s 17th Congressional District.
“Wait, it sounds like you think you’re too moderate. That’s why you are,” the reporter observed.
“I still think we’re too moderate,” Boebert responded.
Asked about her own positions: “Do you think you are too moderate on Iran? — Boebert said: “I was very frustrated with the war.”
On Monday evening, she told reporters that she hoped they “would have a number on Friday.”
“And whatever the decisions are, whatever comes out of it, we will accept it and move forward in whatever way we can,” she said.
With about 98 percent of the votes counted, Laubacher held 48.8 percent to Boebert’s 47.9 percent — a separation of about 3,200 votes — while Libertarian candidate Douglas Mangeris got about 3 percent. Scott Gessler, Boebert’s campaign lawyer, said the team was investigating “very unusual voting patterns,” but did not elaborate on the claim.
During an October campaign debate, Boebert criticized President Donald Trump’s war in Iran while voting against Congressional measures to end the conflict, calling those votes purely symbolic. Laubacher argued during the debate that these votes ignored voters who sought to end the war.
Laubacher, 58, served a 34-year career in the U.S. Navy before retiring as a rear admiral in 2024. She later served on the National Security Council under former President Joe Biden, having previously been a registered Republican.
Boebert first gained national prominence as an outspoken Trump ally after capturing Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District in 2020 by defeating a five-term incumbent Republican in a primary.
After winning re-election in 2022 by just 546 votes against Democrat Adam Frisch, she chose to move to the significantly more conservative 4th District for the 2024 election cycle to preserve her political position. She won the seat in 2024 by 11 percentage points, while Trump won the district by more than 18 points.
Throughout her tenure, Boebert established herself as one of the most visible figures in the GOP’s MAGA faction, once referred to by Biden as the leader of the “extreme MAGA movement,” while frequently clashing with House leaders, including former Speakers Kevin McCarthy and Mike Johnson.
Although Trump endorsed her days before the election as a “MAGA warrior,” he had already criticized her earlier in the year as “stupid” and “feeble-minded” after she stumped for Rep. Thomas Massie, a vocal Trump critic.
Boebert also defied Trump and House GOP leaders by aligning with Democrats to force the release of files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, resisting attempts by the White House to block disclosure over victim privacy concerns.
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