In a move that sent shockwaves from Denver to Washington D.C., Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., announced Wednesday she will leave her 3rd District and seek reelection in the state's far more Republican 4th District being vacated by Rep. Ken Buck.
"It's the right move for me personally, and it's the right decision for those who support our conservative movement," the controversial Boebert said in a campaign video. "Colorado's 4th District is hungry for an unapologetic defender of freedom with a proven track record of standing strong for conservative principles."
The 4th, Colorado's easternmost U.S. House district, has been in Republican hands all but two years since it was created in 1972. It has a 60.3% Republican baseline, compared to a baseline of 52% in the 3rd District, where Boebert was reelected in 2022 by 546 votes of 327,000 cast in the nation's closest House race.
According to seasoned Republican operatives who spoke to Newsmax, Boebert's move is a step toward her political doom.
"Lauren Boebert may not have clearly thought this through," veteran Colorado GOP consultant Jim Pfaff said. "She was wrong about the 3rd. She could have definitely won there. In the 4th District, the top candidates all have lived and been elected there for decades.
"Boebert has a money advantage. But the hurdle she has to overcome with disaffected Republicans is a large one. Republicans will win in the 4th with or without her. She has to convince them it's necessary to make her the nominee and not one of their own."
Former State GOP Chair Dick Wadhams was even harsher in his judgment.
"It's hard for me to see how a carpetbagger congresswoman can win after moving into another district because she thinks she will lose in her current district," he said. "I thought only evil RINO establishment types were so desperate to be in public office."
Boebert has been outspoken in her opposition to green energy, COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates, sex education, and same-sex marriage. She is a fervent supporter of former President Donald Trump, and backs a non-interventionist foreign policy, although she makes an exception in her backing of Israel.
While Boebert has a following for her positions, she has come under fire for behavior that includes being removed from a theatre in Denver for vaping and singing during a performance of "Beetlejuice."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.