Boebert, one of the most prominent figures in Trump’s political movement, was trailing Democratic challenger Eileen Laubacher in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District and appeared headed for defeat.
The Associated Press had Laubacher ahead of Boebert with more than 95 percent of the vote counted three days after the election.
Speaking in a local interview on Friday, Boebert said the Republican Party’s heavy losses offered a clear lesson: “You don’t start endless wars.”
“That’s a big one. I mean, I’ve been frustrated about the Iran war. There was nothing I could do individually to stop what was happening there,” she said.
“I’ve always said you should govern as you campaign. You cannot be one person on the campaign trail and another person in office. The American people want you to do what you said you were going to do.”
Boebert’s campaign said it was examining what it described as “unusual voter patterns” and promised to challenge every ballot it believed warranted review.
The projected result marked a striking reversal for Boebert, who had carried the district by 11.6 percentage points in 2024.
The Cook Political Report had classified the seat as leaning Republican, placing the race among the congressional contests expected to draw close attention on election night.
The Colorado Republican, one of the most recognizable faces of Trump’s political movement, lost her re-election fight to Democratic challenger Eileen Laubacher in the state’s 4th Congressional District
Boebert’s defeat marks a dramatic turnaround for a politician who once appeared virtually inseparable from the Republican Party’s populist movement
Boebert was never far from controversy during her time in Congress
Laubacher, a retired Navy rear admiral, made Boebert’s record on military policy a campaign issue, criticizing her vote against war powers resolutions designed to limit military action in Iran.
The defeat represented a dramatic shift for Boebert, a lawmaker who had once seemed almost synonymous with the Republican Party’s populist wing.
Her congressional career was repeatedly clouded by controversy. In 2023, she was removed from a Denver theater during a performance of Beetlejuice after accusations that she had vaped and engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior.
She later apologized for her conduct.
Boebert also faced questions over her campaign finances, her contentious divorce from Jayson Boebert and her decision to leave Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District to seek re-election in the more Republican-leaning 4th District in 2024.
A separate controversy emerged in September, when activist David Wheeler filed a sworn complaint with the House Ethics Committee accusing Boebert of having sexual relationships with three current and former congressional staffers.
The complaint alleged that Boebert had an affair with a former senior aide and arranged a $200,000 payment to silence the aide after the alleged relationship ended.
It also claimed she had inappropriate relationships with two other members of her congressional team.
The allegations prompted questions about whether Boebert had breached House ethics rules concerning relationships between lawmakers and staff, along with rules governing campaign and congressional funds.
Boebert strongly denied the accusations, calling them politically motivated and “utterly false.” The former aide identified in the complaint also rejected the claims and described them as defamatory.
The House Ethics Committee had not announced whether it would open an investigation.
Boebert’s race, however, was only one of several closely watched contests in Colorado.
Boebert first entered the House in 2021
In Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, Democrat Manny Rutinel flipped the seat after defeating Republican incumbent Gabe Evans.
Republican Congressman Jeff Crank also faced a strong challenge from Democrat Jessica Killin in the 5th District, while Republican Jeff Hurd defended his seat against Democrat Dwayne Romero in the 3rd District.
After a punishing night for Republicans, Democrats gained overall control of the House and could secure at least 258 seats. They also took control of the Senate after flipping several seats across the country.
