Politics · United States · 2 hrs ago
Eileen Laubacher defeats Lauren Boebert in Colorado House race
Eileen Laubacher narrowly defeated Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, a conservative area covering much of the state’s eastern side.
The result was called after days of counting, and accounts of the margin differed, describing it as less than 1% or about 1%.
Laubacher is a retired Navy rear admiral who also worked on the National Security Council under President Biden.
She joined the Democratic Party in 2025 and campaigned on her military and national security experience, along with priorities including lower costs and rural health care.
Boebert has not conceded, and her lawyer suggested she might request a recount.
The race matters because Democrats won a seat in a Republican stronghold, after Boebert had represented Colorado in Congress for three terms.
Laubacher is among the newly elected members preparing to take office in the next Congress.
Democrat Eileen Laubacher defeated incumbent Republican Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press and CBS News.
The race was called on Friday, more than a week after Election Day, with Laubacher leading by more than 3,000 votes, according to The New York Times.
CBS News said about 1% of the vote separated the candidates when it projected the race.
Laubacher is a retired two-star Navy rear admiral who worked on the National Security Council under President Biden.
Boebert has not conceded, and her lawyer suggested she might request a recount.
- Who
- Democrat Eileen Laubacher defeated incumbent Republican Lauren Boebert.
- What
- Laubacher won Colorado’s 4th Congressional District race. Boebert has not conceded.
- When
- The race was called Friday, November 13, 2026, more than a week after Election Day.
- Where
- Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.
- Why
- Not stated
Eileen Laubacher
Lauren Boebert
District move
Eileen Laubacher
Boebert accused Laubacher of moving to the district and changing parties to run for Congress.
Lauren Boebert
Boebert said her own move to the district followed “dark money” flowing from Hollywood to take the 3rd District seat.
Election outcome
Eileen Laubacher
Laubacher declared victory and was later called the winner.
Lauren Boebert
Boebert said ballots still needed to be counted and has not conceded.
Boebert won Colorado’s 4th Congressional District with 53.6% of the vote.
Laubacher became a registered Democrat.
Laubacher claimed victory while votes were still being counted.
The race was called for Laubacher, who was leading by more than 3,000 votes.
- Winner
- Eileen Laubacher, Democrat
- District
- Colorado’s 4th Congressional District
- Vote lead when called
- More than 3,000 votes, according to The New York Times
- Race margin
- About 1%, according to CBS News; less than 1%, according to the Guardian
- Laubacher’s military rank
- Retired two-star Navy rear admiral
- Ad spending
- More than $7 million on Democratic ads, according to The New York Times
4 sources
What people are saying
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.
We've been curing ballots for over a week, and you know we... we need to make sure that every vote counts and every voice is heard. We still have military and overseas ballots that are coming in, and we'll see what that number is,
Lauren Boebert’s sideshow is over.
Like so many of us, Eileen is done with the extremists in both parties