Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) was asked to give the definition of ‘carpetbagger’ during Thursday night’s first GOP primary debate in her new district.
Boebert currently represents Colorado’s 3rd congressional district in Congress. She narrowly won re-election in 2022 by just 546 votes.
She bailed on the district last month to seek re-election in Colorado’s much more GOP friendly 4th district after Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) said he was not seeking re-election. Boebert doesn’t live in Colorado’s 4th district but is reportedly planning on moving there.
This led to Boebert being accused of “carpetbagging,” which refers to candidates running for offices outside of where they live. One candidate asked her about it on state during the debate Thursday.
“Can you give the definition of ‘carpetbagger’ to me?” state Rep. Mike Lynch asked.
“The crops may be different in Colorado’s 4th District but the values are not, and I’m a proven fighter for the values that you all believe in,” Boebert responded.
If Boebert had stayed in her current district she would have faced a tough primary fight as Republicans soured on her after a series of embarrassing scandals. If she survived the primary she would have faced an even tougher general election in a rematch against well-funded Democrat Adam Frisch, the candidate she narrowly defeated in the midterms.
