Boebert defeats five challengers in GOP primary for Ken Buck seat

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) skated to victory on Tuesday after defeating five other competitors in Colorado's 4th Congressional District primary .

The Associated Press called the race for Boebert at 9:22 p.m., only 22 minutes after the polls closed. She won the primary with 44.3% at the time the race was called. Her closest competitor, Deborah Flora, received 15.3% of the vote.

Boebert was effectively the only 4th District primary candidate who ran TV ads as part of her campaign. This, combined with her name recognition and congressional coffers, helped cement her as the front-runner in the race. Boebert, who decided not to run for another term in the 3rd District after a close race in 2022, also had an endorsement from former President Donald Trump and the chairman of the Colorado GOP, Dave Williams.

If Boebert wins in November — the district is considered reliably Republican — she will take over the seat formerly held by ex-GOP Rep. Ken Buck , who retired early in March due to what he considered a dysfunctional House that had “devolved into bickering and nonsense.”

Also being held on Tuesday was the special election contest to finish out the remainder of Buck's current term in Congress. Boebert opted not to run in that race, with former Parker, Colorado, Mayor Greg Lopez favored to win on Tuesday night. He plans to retire from Congress in January, essentially acting as a caretaker for the seat.

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Boebert's decision not to run for reelection in the 3rd District brought some relief to the House GOP. With her as the leading Republican candidate, the 3rd District was rated a "toss-up" by the Cook Political Report. The GOP had concerns that, even if Boebert won the 3rd District primary, she would face defeat in a general election against Democrat Adam Frisch, who narrowly lost to her in the 2022 midterm elections.

The congresswoman portrayed her swap to the 4th District as a "fresh start" for her and her sons. Her primary win comes after months of scrutiny for behavior at a Manhattan gala and at the production of Beetlejuice in a Denver theater.