Rep. Lauren Boebert, who won the closest re-election race in the country in 2022, is facing a rematch in 2024, with Democrat Adam Frisch running again. But there are several other candidates running, on both the Democratic and Republican sides.
Now, there’s a third-party candidate in the race as well.
James Wiley, who is from Pueblo, has announced that he is running for Congress in Boebert’s district, the Colorado 3rd. According to 9 News, Wiley is running to deny Boebert another term, because the incumbent Congresswoman has not signed a pledge to adhere to the party’s principles.
“In truth, I will be elected by the voters of CD-3 as their Libertarian representative to Congress because the land of our district is filled with Sovereign American People whose rights have suffered immeasurable damage by state actors,” Wiley said in a press release. “CD-3 needs activist leaders prepared and willing to demolish the federal government.”
Wiley is 29 years old, younger than the 36-year-old Boebert, who is herself one of the younger current members of Congress.
“We’ll put Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s unwavering record of pro-liberty and pro-freedom votes up against anyone in the district or entire country,” Drew Sexton, Boebert’s campaign manager, told Colorado Politics after the news broke of Wiley’s challenge.
Wiley also vowed, per that site, to “never to vape nicotine at any venue.”
This was a reference, of course, to the not-so-friendly headlines Boebert has made in recent weeks.
Last week, Boebert was escorted out of a performance of “Beetlejuice: The Musical” at a theater in Denver, after “causing a disturbance” at the show.
According to initial reports, Boebert had been vaping and taking flash photographs during the show, leading to complaints from a woman seated near her, who is pregnant.
Boebert at first denied having used a vape pen in the theater, but video footage later emerged of the Congresswoman vaping, as well as engaging in what appeared to be fondling activity with the man next to her.
The Congresswoman later apologized, which is something that she is not known for often doing.
“While none of my actions or words as a private citizen that night were intended to be malicious or meant to cause harm, the reality is they did and I regret that,” Boebert said in the written apology. “There’s no perfect blueprint for going through a public and difficult divorce, which over the past few months has made for a challenging personal time for me and my entire family. I’ve tried to handle it with strength and grace as best I can, but I simply fell short of my values on Sunday. That’s unacceptable and I’m sorry.”
Lauren Boebert announced earlier this year that she and her husband were divorcing. Days after the “Beetlejuice” incident, she announced that she was no longer seeing the man with whom she attended the play.
Media reports had stated that the man is not only a registered Democrat but owns a bar in Aspen that has been known to host drag shows and other LGBTQ-friendly events like the Winter Wonderland Burlesque & Drag Show.
“I have learned to check party affiliations before you go on a date,” Boebert said of her date from that night, although she did describe him as a “wonderful man.”
“He’s a private citizen, and we have peacefully parted at this time,” the Congresswoman told TMZ.
Meanwhile, a group called the Congressional Integrity Project has called on the Office of Congressional Ethics to launch an investigation into Boebert.
“Representative Boebert evaded her ethical obligations by engaging in public lewd behavior at a family-oriented theatrical production. Representative Boebert’s actions were not only appallingly rude and inappropriate, but also a violation of her fundamental duty as a Member of the House of Representatives to uphold the letter and spirit of the House Rules,” the liberal group said in the letter.
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Stephen Silver is a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive. He is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Stephen has authored thousands of articles over the years that focus on politics, technology, and the economy for over a decade. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
