DENVER — Adam Frisch will once more run to unseat the far-right incumbent U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, he announced early Tuesday morning.
For his second run, Frisch, a former Aspen City Councilman, will start with more money and name recognition than he had before. Politicos throughout Colorado and across the rest of the country also understand now that he’s not just a longshot anymore, he’s a contender.
Boebert, of Silt, understands her challenger more now too. She’s been fundraising off the prospect of a rematch for nearly a month.
“November’s election results show us that Boebert is weak and will be defeated,” Frisch said in his campaign announcement.
While pollsters assumed Boebert would hold a wide advantage among Republicans in her sprawling district, Frisch quickly closed the gap. County clerks took days longer than expected to tally the votes and the result was so tight it triggered an automatic recount. In the end, the congresswoman held her seat by 546 votes.
Early into her second term Boebert stood out as one of the few members of Congress staunchly opposed to U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become speaker of the House. The move put her, once again, in the national spotlight but ultimately she acquiesced. The congresswoman has also spoken loudly against American aid to help Ukraine defend against the ongoing Russian invasion.
“Boebert has only doubled down on her divisive antics, attention-seeking, and entertainment that does nothing to benefit the people of Southern and Western Colorado,” Frisch said.
Political scientists said in December they expected Boebert to lean further into her often-confrontational rhetoric during her second term, rather than to relax her message. During a reelection bid in 2024 she’d likely be able to lean on stronger Republican turnout during the adjoining presidential election.
However, national Democratic organizations will also be more likely to lend Frisch the support he lacked during his first run.
Campaign finance reports show that Frisch will carry over more than $365,000 from his first campaign. Boebert will start with more than twice that much. At the end of 2022, she had more than $771,000 in cash on hand.
Boebert has also been fundraising off Frisch’s name for nearly a month. On Jan. 22 she emailed constituents about the upcoming rematch.
“Here’s the thing ... I won my last race by a razor-thin margin,” Boebert wrote in a campaign email. “As you can imagine, left-wingers are going to rally around him big time after they came so close this past election. We need your help now to fight back.”
Frisch said he will hold a campaign kick-off in Pueblo on Wednesday morning where he will start the first tour of the district, about 21 months ahead of the November 2024 election.
———
