Update: Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) Democrat challenger Adam Frisch conceded earlier today, not waiting for the likely automatic recount.
“The likelihood of this recount changing more than a handful of votes is very small. Very, very small,” Frisch said Friday in a video. “It’d be disingenuous and unethical for us or any other group to continue to raise false hope and encourage fundraising for a recount.”
Original post:
The lead that Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) Democratic challenger held over her as counts first poured in was one of the biggest surprises of Election Night. More than a week later, the freshman congresswoman is still hanging on for dear life.
The Trump-backed, gun-toting, MAGA fave is holding on to a lead tighter than ever against Democratic challenger Adam Frisch. With 99% of the votes reported, Boebert is leading by 0.16 percentage points — 551 votes — according to the Associated Press.
Colorado requires an automatic recount when a candidate wins by 0.5% or less of the winner’s total vote count. And with the margin so small, the AP is declaring that the race in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District is likely headed to a recount.
Boebert — who has long falsely claimed that former President Trump won the 2020 election — announced late last night that she has won her reelection.
“There are less than 200 votes outstanding, which makes me so happy to announce we have won this race,” Boebert said in a video she posted on Twitter. “Over the next couple of weeks, this race will have an automatic recount… My campaign team and our lawyers will definitely make sure everything is conducted properly.”
With the race too close to call, Frisch, of course, hasn’t publicly conceded as of Friday morning. Frisch attended the congressional orientation earlier this week, saying it was “in the best interest of the district for me to attend new member orientation given the closeness of this race.” After orientation, he tweeted thanking volunteers who helped cure votes and count ballots.
“The volunteers who have spent hours—including sleepless nights—getting ballots cured & counted in #CO03 deserve the nation’s thanks as they complete one of the most democratic processes in the world and ensure the integrity of our elections,” Frisch wrote.
The Cook Political Report rated the district as solidly Republican ahead of the midterms but Frisch outperformed expectations and has been closely trailing Boebert since Election Day.
A full count is expected to be completed today, which is the deadline for counties to submit their tabulations to the Colorado secretary of state, according to the New York Times. If the race goes to a recount, it will have to be done by Dec. 13. State law requires that a mandatory recount be completed no later than 35 days after the election.
