Lauren Boebert leading Democrat Trish Calvarese in Colorado's 4th Congressional District

Republican Lauren Boebert was leading in the 4th Congressional District where she is seeking a third term, but not by the wide margin that might be expected in a district considered the safest GOP district in the state.

Boebert had nearly 53% of the vote according to unofficial results released by 8:30 p.m. Democrat Trisha Calvarese had 43.24% of the 356,886 of the ballots tallied.

Also on the ballot are Frank Atwood of the Approval Voting Party with 1.24%; Hannah Goodman of the Libertarian Party with2.28%; and Paul Noel Fiorino of the Unity Party with 0.27%

Boebert’s defection from the 3rd Congressional District created a stir in a part of the state where the Republican candidate is usually a shoo-in. But Democrat Trisha Calvarese’s effort to upset Boebert drew millions of dollars in contributions in recent months.

Even so, the district that encompasses a huge chunk of eastern Colorado, is considered the safest in the state for Republicans. Ken Buck, who stepped down early after announcing he wouldn’t run again, won reelection by nearly 24 percentage points over his Democratic opponent in 2022.

In contrast, Boebert, 37, an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump, barely defeated Democrat Adam Frisch for a second term in the 3rd District in 2022. She pulled up stakes in western Colorado and moved to Windsor after a contentious divorce and generating international headlines for her ouster from the touring Broadway musical “Beetlejuice” at Denver’s Buell Theatre.

Calvarese, 38, who recently returned to Highlands Ranch where she grew up, has called out the Beetlejuice incident as well as Boebert’s vote against expanding health care coverage for veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits while deployed. The Democrat, who won a three-way race in the primary election, called her challenge of Boebert “absolutely winnable,” citing a poll released in May showing nearly half the respondents with an unfavorable view of the Republican.

However, Boebert, despite being called a carpetbagger for switching to the 4th District, defeated five opponents in the GOP primary, winning three times as many votes as the next-closest candidate. While Boebert’s controversial statements and actions, like heckling President Joe Biden during a State of the Union speech, have garnered criticism, her support for gun rights and cracking down on illegal immigration and her opposition to abortion resonate with conservative voters.

Calvarese, who worked for the National Science Foundation and the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest federation of labor unions, supports abortion rights, investing in renewable energy to address climate change and ensuring access to health care.

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