Rep. Lauren Boebert loses to Democrat Eileen Laubacher in Colorado's 4th Congressional District

Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post on Nov 13, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

DENVER — Democrat Eileen Laubacher unseated U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District as final vote tallies updated Friday, 10 days after the polls closed.

The Associated Press called the race for Laubacher, a retired Naval rear admiral, at 12:53 p.m. in Colorado’s most right-leaning district. The vote showed Laubacher with 48.8% of the vote to Boebert’s 47.9%, a margin that will not trigger an automatic recount.

Laubacher had declared victory Monday in the tight race against Boebert, the conservative firebrand whose political fortunes were among those upended by the overwhelming blue wave that propelled Democrats to House and Senate majorities last week.

“The people of this district sent a clear message: they’re tired of political games, tired of empty promises, and ready for leadership that puts people ahead of party,” Laubacher said in a statement after the AP called the race Friday. “But winning an election doesn’t lower grocery prices, make healthcare more affordable, or end the war in Iran. The challenges facing our communities haven’t changed, and neither has my commitment to tackling them. Now the work begins.”

In a video statement Friday, Boebert said it was “the honor of a lifetime” to represent the 4th Congressional District in Washington, D.C. — but that “public service was never meant to be a lifetime career.” She touted accomplishments related to cutting taxes, preventing transgender kids from participating in sports not aligned with their biological sex, and votes to release files about the investigation into notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s operations.

She said she called Laubacher to concede and would hand over constituent service requests to the congresswoman-elect — a handoff that Boebert said she did not receive herself.

“I’m home, I’m happy, I have peace, and this is not the last you’ll be hearing from me,” Boebert said. “Stay tuned, and stay blessed.”

Laubacher is a former Republican who only recently became a Democrat. She moved to Highlands Ranch with her husband two years ago and describes herself as politically moderate. “I’ve never been a straight-party ticket voter — I’ve never felt either party matched me perfectly,” she said in an interview Monday.

Boebert moved to Windsor in the 4th Congressional District two years ago after nearly losing the seat she had held for two terms in the 3rd Congressional District on the Western Slope.

Boebert rocketed to political celebrity as soon as she entered the scene during President Donald Trump’s first term. A former owner of a firearms-themed restaurant in Rifle, she made a name for herself confronting Democrat Beto O’Rourke in 2019 over his plans to ban AR-15-style guns, and as a prominent voice opposing COVID-19 restrictions.

She ousted five-term Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton in the 2020 primary election in one of the biggest intraparty upsets of the election season. Since then, personal controversy — most recently involving criminal charges for her son and her own lewd behavior at a Denver theater — and an unapologetically brash brand of conservative politics have colored her tenure.

While in Congress, Boebert was one of Trump’s staunchest allies and defenders, but notably broke with him when she voted to release the so-called Epstein files. Epstein was a close friend of Trump’s, though they had a falling out. Trump also vetoed a bill she ran to help build a water pipeline in southeastern Colorado, which she attempted to override.

In her current race, results show Laubacher carried the more urban — and more populated — corners of the 4th District, including Douglas, Larimer and Arapahoe counties, while Boebert led in most rural counties, including Weld.

Ultimately, Laubacher’s only needed to win those three counties, albeit by convincing margins, to carry a district that stretches across the Eastern Plains, from Wyoming to Oklahoma.

In Douglas County, specifically, Laubacher beat Boebert by 22,000 votes. That proved to be a pivotal cushion in a race ultimately decided by only about 3,500 votes across the entire district.

Laubacher’s victory leaves Democrats with a 7-1 majority among Colorado’s House seats, as last week’s election also saw Manny Rutinel unseat Rep. Gabe Evans and Jessica Killin defeat Rep. Jeff Crank.

Rep. Jeff Hurd was the only incumbent Colorado Republican in Congress to be reelected.

_____