CBS News has projected that Democrat Eileen Laubacher has secured victory in the race for Colorado's 4th Congressional District. This final determination comes more than a week after Election Day, marking the end of a closely contested election in the state.
The margin of victory was extremely narrow. By the time the results were officially projected, just one percent of the total vote separated Laubacher from incumbent Congresswoman Lauren Boebert. This tight result required an extended period of vote counting to confirm the winner.
Laubacher had previously claimed victory earlier this week, although the gap between the two candidates remained in the thousands of votes at that time. The official projection confirms her win after all final ballots were tallied.
In a statement delivered on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Monday night, Boebert addressed the delay in the final count. She noted that the process of curing ballots had taken over a week. Boebert emphasized the importance of ensuring every voice was heard and every vote counted, including military and overseas ballots that were still arriving.
Eileen Laubacher is a retired two-star rear admiral in the Navy. She previously served on the National Security Council under President Biden. A resident of Highlands Ranch, Laubacher changed her party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. She has positioned herself as a common-sense candidate focused on practical governance.
Her campaign priorities centered on keeping costs down, fighting corruption, and improving access to healthcare in rural areas. On Monday, Laubacher attended the first day of New Member Orientation at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. She joined other newly elected members of the 120th Congress following the midterm elections, where Democrats gained control of both chambers of the legislature.
The 4th Congressional District covers the eastern third of Colorado. The area also includes portions of Douglas County, which is located south of Denver, and the city of Loveland in Northern Colorado. This geographic spread reflects the diverse population the new representative will serve.
Boebert had served two terms in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District before switching her district. She won the 4th District seat in 2024 with 53.6 percent of the vote. In this cycle, the outspoken Republican did not face a challenger in the primary election earlier this year.
The race for Boebert's seat took place amid various challenges she faced recently. One notable issue involved a legal dispute in Weld County. A judge granted the congresswoman a protective order against a man named David Wheeler, who resides in North Carolina. Wheeler had made claims regarding alleged sexual relationships between Boebert and three of her staff members. He also claimed that a $200,000 payment was arranged to one former aide to keep the alleged involvement quiet.
