Boebert Ousted in Solid-Red Colorado District as Campaign Earlier Flagged ‘Unusual Voting Patterns’

Democrat Eileen Laubacher, a retired Navy rear admiral, defeated three-term Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, flipping a seat that President Donald Trump carried by 18 points in 2024 and that Boebert herself won by more than 11 points two years ago.

The Associated Press called the race for Laubacher on Friday, November 13, shortly before 1 p.m. local time, with more than 99% of ballots counted. Unofficial results from the Colorado Secretary of State showed Laubacher with roughly 187,745 votes (48.8%) to Boebert’s 184,220 (47.9%), a margin of about 3,525 votes. Libertarian Douglas Mangeris received roughly 3.3%. The margin sits well outside Colorado’s automatic recount threshold.

Boebert’s campaign had previously raised questions about the count. Attorney Scott Gessler, a former Colorado secretary of state, said in a statement earlier in the week that the campaign was “investigating some very unusual voting patterns” and expected the race to head to a recount “one way or another.” He noted that ballot returns since Election Day had been trending in Boebert’s direction and that the team was fighting to ensure every legal vote was counted. Gessler did not publicly specify the nature of the patterns. Local reporting also highlighted a significant undervote in Weld County, a Republican-leaning area, which narrowed Boebert’s path.

On Friday evening, Boebert conceded. In a social-media video she said she had waited until every vote was counted and every voice heard, then called Laubacher to congratulate her. She stressed that the people of the district were more important than party politics and pledged an orderly transition of open constituent cases. She has indicated she does not plan to run for the seat again in 2028.

Laubacher, a 34-year Navy veteran and former Republican who switched parties, declared victory earlier in the week after some networks projected her win. She has described her priorities as lowering costs, protecting healthcare, strengthening rural communities, and holding both parties accountable. The win is only the second time a Democrat has carried the Eastern Plains-centered district since 1973.

The outcome leaves Colorado’s U.S. House delegation with seven Democrats and one Republican—Jeff Hurd in the 3rd District—after Democrats flipped multiple seats in a midterm cycle that saw broader Republican losses. Boebert first entered Congress in 2020 representing the 3rd District, then moved to the more Republican 4th after a narrow 2022 reelection. Her loss removes one of the House’s more visible conservative voices.

Results remain unofficial pending certification. No formal recount has been ordered, and Boebert’s concession indicates the contest is settled. The campaign’s earlier statements about voting patterns remain part of the public record as the final tallies are certified.