Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert was reelected to Congress on Tuesday, completing a political trapeze act in which she switched districts mid-election cycle during a period of intense personal turmoil and embarrassment.
Boebert was beating Democrat Trisha Calvarese with 53% of the vote to Calvarese’s 43% of the vote at about 8:45 p.m. when Calvarese conceded. The Associated Press called the race at 9:18 p.m.
“The swamp, they thought I would fail,” Boebert said in her victory speech. “And rather than failing, I think it’s kind of like an A+ with extra credit for this GED (recipient) right here.”
The news wasn’t all bright for Boebert, however. She was vastly underperforming her GOP predecessors in the district, as well as other Republicans running for office in the 4th District this year.
The congresswoman was trailing Calvarese in the Republican-stronghold Douglas County, the district’s population center, by about 1,500 votes at 9 p.m.