Adam Frisch wasn’t supposed to pose a viable threat to incumbent Lauren Boebert when he ran for Congress.
Frisch was virtually unknown while Boebert was one of the most recognizable conservative zealots in America. But Frisch pushed Boebert to the brink, making the race the closest House race in the entire country. Boebert did win – but barely, with just a 546 vote margin.
Now Frisch is back, ready to oust Boebert from her congressional seat, with a campaign that won’t be considered a moonshot this time, but rather a legitimate challenge.
“People want to vote for a winner,” Frisch told TIME, emphasizing that Boebert might be the only “brand-name, nationally-known” Republican who may well lose reelection next year. “I don’t say this with pride, but it’s going to be probably one of the more expensive, one of the more nationally-focused races.
Heated matchup in Colorado’s Third
Colorado’s Third District is rural – and happens to cover a larger area than the entire state of Pennsylvania. “It encompasses most of the state’s Western Slope, including Aspen, and stretches to Pueblo, near the southeast corner of the state. It’s Republican-leaning, but has pockets of Democratic support and a libertarian streak,” TIME reported.
In 2022, projections of a staggering defeat held Frisch back. “It’s hard when FiveThirtyEight says you’re supposed to lose by 45,000 votes. It’s hard for fundraising. It’s hard for media.”
But in defying expectations, Frisch has proven he has a legitimate chance of knocking off Boebert. Accordingly, Frisch will enjoy resources and visibility that he lacked the last time around. “In the first month and a half since he launched his campaign on Valentine’s Day, Frisch raised $1.7 million from about 45,000 donors.”
Frisch filed for the 2024 race within ten days of the 2022 election defeat, knowing that despite losing, he had an unusual wave of momentum at his back. “There were a lot of people calling from the district and Denver and D.C. asking for us to give serious thought to getting back in,” Frisch said. Some people under their breath sheepishly told me they voted for me. They’ve never voted for a non-Republican before.”
Lauren Boebert will fight back
Boebert is a firebrand. She won’t go quietly into the night. She’ll rant and rave and cite conspiracy theories and Deep State nonsense and take some target practice for good measure. She told the Associated Press after her narrow win that she would be “more focused on delivering the policies I ran on than owning the left,” but that “I’m still going to be me.”
“Adam’s cowboy boots and the actors he hires as ranchers for his TV ads aren’t fooling anyone,” Boebert wrote in a statement to TIME. “Nobody fights harder for the people of rural Colorado than me.” Boebert also emphasized her accomplishments, like “protecting the San Luis Valley’s water from a Denver water grab” and “co-leading the bipartisan Dolores River bill.”
Personally, I can say that without even knowing a thing about Frisch, I hope he knocks Boebert out of Congress. While my opinion has no value with respect to who represents Colorado’s Third District, I will argue that Boebert is undeserving of a posting in our nation’s capital. She is what Dave Chappelle would call “observably stupid.” She is destructively conservative. She’s amenable to outlandish conspiracy theories. I’d love to see her knocked down a few pegs, maybe to Pueblo’s city council or something – somewhere without national legislative responsibilities.
Harrison Kass is the Senior Editor and opinion writer at 19FortyFive. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
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