How Rep. Lauren Boebert’s new district stacks up against her old one, in 4 charts

By CNN Newsource

Published January 3, 2024 2:00 am

By Annette Choi, CNN

(CNN) — US Rep. Lauren Boebert’s decision to switch congressional districts less than a year out from the 2024 election could be the key to preserving her political future. The firebrand is competing for the seat in a Whiter, wealthier and more Republican district — a recipe that could help keep the staunch conservative in Congress for another term.

Instead of seeking reelection in the 3rd District, where she currently resides, Boebert set her sights on the 4th District, which is on the other side of the state. The move avoids a potentially challenging rematch with Democrat Adam Frisch, who out-fundraised her through the fall, and places Boebert in a district with demographics and politics more favorable to her election.

Here’s more on how the two districts compare.

The pivot from her current more moderate district to the new one is an attractive step for someone like Boebert, who has allied herself with the Donald Trump wing of the party and fought Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s election as Speaker when Republicans took control of the House in 2023.

The 4th has a larger share of Republican voters and a 9.1 percentage point larger share of White residents compared to the 3rd, according to the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions.

The 4th District, anchored in Douglas County and encompassing the rural Eastern Plains, is also more affluent than Boebert’s former district — or any other district in the state. Four percent of families in District 4 reported income below the poverty level, compared to 8.8% of families in District 3, according to the Census Bureau.

In the 2022 midterms, Boebert narrowly defeated Frisch with 546 votes in the tightest GOP House race of the year. In comparison, Republican Rep. Ken Buck — whose soon-to-be vacated seat Boebert is eyeing in the 4th — beat out his Democratic opponent by more than 86,000 votes, or 24.3 percentage points.

While she will be running in the most conservative district in the state, Boebert still isn’t guaranteed a win. The polarizing conservative has been embroiled in a series of scandals during her time in office, associating with the QAnon conspiracy movement and making anti-Muslim comments against fellow Rep. Ilhan Omar. Boebert faces a crowded primary Republican field in the 4th District, including a talk radio host and a member of the state legislature.

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