Laubacher dominates Colorado's 4th Congressional District Democratic primary

Laubacher dominates Colorado's 4th Congressional District Democratic primary

Democrat Eileen Laubacher defeated write-in candidate Jenna Preston on Tuesday, setting up a November showdown with Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado's 4th Congressional District.

The big picture: Laubacher handily won, according to the Colorado Secretary of State's office.

Why it matters: Laubacher, a former Republican from Highlands Ranch, gives Democrats the kind of crossover profile they think could appeal to moderate Republicans and right-leaning independents in one of Colorado's deepest-red congressional districts.

Zoom in: Colorado's 4th Congressional District stretches across eastern Colorado and includes Arapahoe County's eastern edge.

State of play: Laubacher served as a senior defense official and on former President Biden's National Security Council.

  • A U.S. Naval Academy graduate, she also home-schooled her five children.

    • Follow the money: Laubacher had more than $3 million cash on hand as of June 10, according to Federal Election Commission data.

  • Boebert previously posted relatively weak fundraising numbers and trails her challenger.

    • Reality check: Boebert, a Windsor Republican, won the district by nearly 12 percentage points in 2024.

  • That's still well below the margins Republicans have traditionally posted in the district.

    • The intrigue: Once a MAGA darling, Boebert crossed Trump this year when she backed Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, who lost his primary to a Trump-supported challenger.

  • The president threatened to tank Boebert's endorsement and called her "dumb."
  • Boebert later posted on social media she "will be America First, America Always, and MAGA."

    • Between the lines: Democrats hope Laubacher's military background and Republican roots could give moderate Republicans and right-leaning independents fed up with Boebert and Trump permission to cross party lines.

    The bottom line: Laubacher's primary runaway gives Democrats a plausible candidate in an unforgiving district. The question now is whether her résumé can beat Republican math.