Democrat Eileen Laubacher defeats Lauren Boebert in deep-red Colorado district

Nov 13, 2026

In an unexpected midterm outcome, retired Navy Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher defeated Republican Representative Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s traditionally conservative 4th Congressional District. Laubacher, a former Republican who raised $13.7 million, capitalized on voter frustration over inflation, tariffs, and Boebert’s high-profile personal controversies. Boebert faced backlash after clashing with President Donald Trump over Jeffrey Epstein files and water funding, while also blaming GOP midterm losses on Trump’s war in Iran. The victory gives Democrats seven of Colorado’s eight House seats.

2026 CO-04 election result details

▪Democrat Eileen Laubacher won Douglas County, Colorado, by roughly 22,056 votes in November 2026, reversing a district county that Republican Ken Buck previously won by 26,500 votes
▪Democratic challenger Eileen Laubacher defeated three-term Republican Representative Lauren Boebert in Colorado's 4th Congressional District in the November 2026 midterm election, winning 48.8% to 47.9%
▪Democrat Eileen Laubacher's victory gave Democrats control of seven of Colorado's eight U.S. House seats following the 2026 midterm elections

Boebert's Post-election statements and legal moves

▪Representative Lauren Boebert's campaign attorney Scott Gessler alleged unusual voting patterns on November 12, 2026, and stated he expected the election results to head to a recount
▪Following the election call on November 13, 2026, Representative Lauren Boebert stated she does not plan to run again for Colorado's 4th Congressional District in 2028
▪Representative Lauren Boebert attributed her defeat to heavy Democratic campaign spending and the Republican-controlled Senate failing to pass House-approved legislation

Eileen Laubacher's background and campaign

▪Democratic candidate Eileen Laubacher raised $13.7 million for her 2026 campaign, outraising incumbent Republican Representative Lauren Boebert, who raised $1.2 million
▪Democrat Eileen Laubacher campaigned on cutting middle-class taxes, lowering grocery prices, and ending President Donald Trump's tariffs
▪Democrat Eileen Laubacher is a retired two-star Navy rear admiral and 34-year military veteran who served on the National Security Council during the Biden administration
▪Democrat Eileen Laubacher changed her political registration from Republican to unaffiliated in 2024 before registering as a Democrat in 2025 to run for Congress

Tensions between Trump and Boebert

▪President Donald Trump vetoed a bill sponsored by Representative Lauren Boebert that would have funded a clean drinking water project for 50,000 residents in southeastern Colorado
▪President Donald Trump publicly criticized Representative Lauren Boebert on Truth Social in May 2026, calling her weak-minded after she supported Representative Thomas Massie and pressed for Epstein file releases

Scandals involving Lauren Boebert

▪Representative Lauren Boebert faced a September 2026 House Ethics Committee complaint alleging unsanctioned sexual relationships with three congressional staffers and a $200,000 hush-money payment to a former aide
▪In 2023, Representative Lauren Boebert and a date were escorted out of a Denver theater performance of the musical Beetlejuice following reports of vaping and disruptive behavior

Release of Epstein files

▪Representative Lauren Boebert was one of four House Republicans who signed a bipartisan discharge petition in November 2025 seeking the full release of Justice Department files on Jeffrey Epstein
▪The White House attempted to persuade Representative Lauren Boebert to remove her name from a discharge petition seeking the release of Jeffrey Epstein files