Lauren Boebert Loses Reelection to Eileen Laubacher in Stunning Colorado Upset
Republican Representative Lauren Boebert has lost her reelection bid in Colorado, with US media projecting on Friday 13 November 2026 that Democrat Eileen Laubacher, a retired US Navy rear admiral, defeated her in the state’s 4th Congressional District. The result ends Boebert’s three-term tenure in Congress and flips the most conservative House seat in Colorado.
The Associated Press called the race on Friday afternoon, with Laubacher leading Boebert 48.8% to 47.9% and an estimated 99% of votes counted. Libertarian Douglas Mangeris took 3.3% of the vote. The margin was 3,452 votes out of 384,306 cast.
| Race | Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, US House of Representatives |
| Winner | Eileen Laubacher (Democrat), retired US Navy rear admiral |
| Vote share | Laubacher 48.8%, Boebert 47.9%, Libertarian Douglas Mangeris 3.3% |
| Margin | 3,452 votes out of 384,306 cast |
| Called | Friday 13 November 2026, by the Associated Press and other US media |
| District lean | President Donald Trump carried the district by 18 points in 2024 |
| Fundraising | Laubacher raised $13.7 million; Boebert raised $1.2 million |
| Certification deadline | Colorado counties must certify results by 25 November 2026 |
How Laubacher Flipped Colorado’s Reddest Seat
The 4th District is considered Colorado’s reddest seat. When its boundaries were drawn in 2021, Republicans held an average advantage of about 25 points, and a Democrat had not represented the district since Betsy Markey held it from 2009 to 2011. President Donald Trump carried it by 18 percentage points in 2024.
Laubacher, a 34-year Navy veteran who lives in Highlands Ranch, made her military career and national security experience central to her campaign, including service in Afghanistan and India and a stint on the National Security Council. She won Douglas County, the district’s population centre and a Republican stronghold, by about 11 percentage points.
Her campaign also outraised Boebert by a wide margin. Reuters reported that Laubacher raised $13.7 million for the November election, compared with $1.2 million for Boebert. Laubacher declared victory on Monday 9 November and attended orientation for incoming members of Congress in Washington while the race remained uncalled.
A 3,452-Vote Margin After a Week of Counting
The race was one of a handful of House contests that remained undecided more than a week after the 3 November election, in which Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress. Reuters reported that Democrats will control at least 256 House seats and at least 55 Senate seats for the final two years of President Trump’s presidency.
Laubacher finished with 187,745 votes to Boebert’s 184,220, according to figures from the Colorado Secretary of State’s office reported on Friday. Under Colorado law, an automatic recount is required only when the gap between the two leading candidates is no more than 0.5% of the winner’s vote total. The gap here, about 0.9 percentage points, exceeds that threshold, although Boebert may request a recount at her own expense by 25 November.
Boebert’s campaign had begun casting doubt on the integrity of the count as she trailed, offering no evidence to support claims of voting irregularities. Her campaign attorney, Scott Gessler, Colorado’s former Republican secretary of state, said the campaign was investigating what he described as unusual voting patterns.
The District Switch That Did Not Save Boebert
Boebert was first elected to Congress in 2020, representing Colorado’s 3rd District. She narrowly survived reelection in 2022, beating Democrat Adam Frisch by just 546 votes. She then switched to the more reliably Republican 4th District for the 2024 election and won another term.
The move was meant to avoid another close race. Instead, she became the third Republican member of Congress from Colorado to lose a reelection race in this cycle, according to Colorado Public Radio. Her defeat also cut short a six-year congressional career built on a high national profile as one of President Trump’s most prominent allies in the House.
A Blue Wave Reshapes the Next Congress
The Associated Press described Laubacher’s win as one of several surprising Republican losses in what is shaping up to be the most lopsided election in half a century. Democrats’ victories in the House and Senate give the party control of both chambers for the final two years of President Trump’s presidency.
Laubacher told Scripps News she will not run for the seat in 2028. Her win, in a district long rated safely Republican, underlines how far the political map shifted in the 2026 midterms, with even deeply conservative seats proving competitive when well-funded challengers with strong biographies entered the race.
What Happens Next in Colorado’s 4th District
Colorado counties have until 25 November to review and certify their results. Laubacher, who attended new-member orientation on 9 November, is expected to take her seat when the new Congress convenes in January 2027.
Boebert’s next move is unclear. She has not announced any future campaign, and her campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment after the race was called. For now, the 4th District — held by Republicans continuously since 2011 — will be represented by a Democrat for the first time in 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who defeated Lauren Boebert in Colorado? A: Democrat Eileen Laubacher, a retired US Navy rear admiral and 34-year Navy veteran, defeated Boebert in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District. The Associated Press called the race on Friday 13 November 2026.
Q: What was the vote margin in the Boebert–Laubacher race? A: Laubacher won by 3,452 votes out of 384,306 cast, taking 48.8% of the vote to Boebert’s 47.9%. Libertarian Douglas Mangeris received 3.3%.
Q: Why was Lauren Boebert’s defeat considered an upset? A: The 4th District is Colorado’s most conservative House seat. President Donald Trump carried it by 18 points in 2024, and a Democrat had not held it since 2009–2011. Boebert had also moved there in 2024 specifically because it was more reliably Republican than her old district.
Q: Will there be a recount in Colorado’s 4th District? A: No automatic recount is required, because the margin exceeds Colorado’s 0.5% threshold. Boebert may request a recount at her own expense by 25 November, the same date by which counties must certify their results.
Q: Who is Eileen Laubacher? A: Laubacher is a retired two-star Navy rear admiral who served 34 years in the US Navy, including service in Afghanistan and India and a stint on the National Security Council. She was registered as a Republican until 2024, when she registered as unaffiliated, before running as a Democrat.
