Lauren Boebert's New Challenger Eviscerates Her for Swapping Districts

A Republican congressional candidate in Colorado who will face Representative Lauren Boebert in next year's primary said the two-term lawmaker cares only about herself.

Boebert, who was first elected in 2020 and won reelection by 546 votes in 2022, announced on Wednesday that she will switch congressional districts ahead of the 2024 election—moving from her 3rd Congressional District to Colorado's more conservative 4th district, citing a "fresh start."

A tough primary race is anticipated as Boebert and other Republicans try to replace outgoing GOP Representative Ken Buck, who after serving the district since 2015 decided to retire from Congress. Buck, who has been verbally attacked by former President Donald Trump as a "Republican in Name Only [RINO]," has been an outspoken member of his conference, notably for criticizing fellow conservatives who continue to claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen or rigged in favor of Joe Biden.

"Lauren's political move is to secure a career seat in [Washington] D.C. as she knows CD [Colorado District] 4 is a very conservative district," Trent Leisy, a GOP candidate running in the fourth district, told Newsweek. "She is doing exactly what she has attacked [former Democratic House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi on, which is being a lifelong career politician."

Newsweek reached out to Boebert's office via email for comment.

Leisy has recently made his own headlines, saying that the four Colorado Supreme Court judges who ruled to leave Trump off the state's 2024 presidential primary ballot next year should be tried for treason.

The U.S. Navy veteran and business owner defended his decision to Newsweek, saying every American has a "God-given right" to vote and that the four justices in question—all of whom have received additional security from local and federal agencies since the ruling earlier this month—betrayed the Constitution.

He is running on a platform that vows to "destroy child trafficking, destroy the porn industry, outlaw chemtrails, and financially compensate the families of the January 6 patriots." Leisy noted that he announced his candidacy in June, months before Buck announced his decision to leave Washington.

[Boebert's] representation of Colorado is weakening," he said. "She doesn't represent her current constituents and does not represent my constituents in CD4, which is why she is seat hopping. Not only is she a seat hopper, she is a flip-flopper and has become out of touch with America First constituents by voting alongside RINO representatives.

"I'm not in this for fame or money. I'm in this because I love President Trump and love this country."

Boebert has been widely criticized since her decision was announced, notably because she is leaving a district where her 2022 opponent, Adam Frisch, is running for office again and had already raised more than three times the funds that she has in the past three months.

However, Frisch's chances may have also taken a hit if he doesn't run against a polarizing figure like Boebert.

"Frisch is no longer running against his foil, so the campaign has to retool, which adds a bit of [surmountable] difficulty for them," Kyle Saunders, a political science professor at the Colorado State University, told Newsweek.

Her decision has received mixed reaction from her constituents in the 3rd district, some of whom lamented her move while others expressed optimism at being able to vote for someone whom they say is more in tune with their values.