- Rep. Lauren Boebert faces yet another election hurdle in Colorado's 4th district.
- Rep. Ken Buck's resignation has led to a special election coinciding with the GOP primary.
- Boebert must persuade voters to support her and another candidate on the same ballot, for the same seat.
Amid family drama and negative media coverage, Rep. Lauren Boebert faces yet another hurdle to being elected in November.
She must now persuade voters to support her while backing another candidate for a special election on the same ballot.
Boebert, who represents Colorado's 3rd congressional district, has relocated to the 4th district, where she is seeking election.
However, the unexpected announcement by Rep. Ken Buck, who represents the 4th district, that he would leave Congress earlier than expected has put a spanner in the works for Boebert's campaign.
His announcement triggered a special election to find someone to serve the rest of his term, which Colorado Gov. Jared Polis scheduled for June 25 — the same day as the primary Boebert is competing in.
Boebert ultimately decided not to run in the special election, which would require her to leave her current seat early, citing concerns that it would "imperil the already very slim House Republican majority."
But this has created a political headache for Boebert and her primary selection chances.
By not resigning her seat, she will effectively have to convince voters to choose a "caretaker" in the special election and, on the same ballot, reject them in her favor for the GOP primary itself.
"That's definitely a heavier lift," Republican strategist Ryan Lynch told The Hill.
Lynch also told Colorado Public Radio that he thinks that if a GOP candidate is nominated for the special election vacancy, they'll then have a strong advantage going into the primary.
Republican political analyst Kelly Maher told The Hill that it's like asking people to split the ticket "but on steroids."
Maher added that Boebert "needs to be making the case that you should vote for an entirely different person down ballot while the same name is listed twice. That's going to be wild."
In a statement shared on her X account, Boebert said that "the establishment concocted a swampy backroom deal to try to rig an election I'm winning by 25 points."
She said that forcing a special election on the same day would "confuse voters, result in a lame-duck Congressman on day one, and leave the 4th district with no representation for more than three months."
Though Boebert has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and a cash advantage, her campaign has recently been marred with negative publicity.
Recent events include the arrest of her son Tyler Boebert, the double arrest of her ex-husband, and her divorce, coupled with her getting thrown out of a Denver theatre after vaping and apparently getting fondled.
In 2022, Boebert won a narrow victory in the 3rd congressional district, beating Democrat Adam Frisch by just 546 votes.
The 4th congressional district is considered safer and is ranked as "solidly Republican" by The Cook Political Report.
Boebert's representatives did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.