Boebert Trails Frisch by 64 Votes in Tight Reelection Bid (Newsmax)
By Nicole Wells | Thursday, 10 November 2022 11:15 AM EST
In what has turned into a squeaker of a race, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., is trailing Democrat challenger Adam Frisch by 64 votes with 94% of ballots counted in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District.
Both campaigns were optimistic when they spoke with The Hill on Wednesday and noted that the race was far from decided nearly 24 hours after the Centennial State's polls closed.
"There's certainly a path to victory," Boebert spokesperson Ben Stout told the outlet.
"We like where we are; we think we're in a really good place. We are waiting for what we think are the last batch of numbers that should work out OK for us, but I'm certainly not gonna — I'm a fairly humble guy and I'm not gonna, again, get over my skis, and so we're gonna be patient," Frisch told The Hill.
Outstanding votes in key counties Pueblo and Mesa will likely play an important role in determining the outcome of the unexpectedly competitive race.
With 89% of the vote in, liberal-leaning Pueblo County has thus far supported Frisch over Boebert, 54% to 45%, according to a 10:30 a.m. Thursday Newsmax tally. In 2020, the area voted overwhelmingly for President Joe Biden.
Frisch's spokesperson told The Hill that the county usually takes a long time to report vote tallies.
"It's a Dem stronghold in the district for us so, given that, we feel very confident, even with the small lead we have we feel confident that we can hold on to that," the spokesperson said.
Boebert's camp is monitoring Mesa County, which threw its support behind former President Donald Trump in 2020. With 95% of the vote counted, the area is choosing Boebert over Frisch, 58% to 42%, according to Newsmax figures.
If the final margin in the race is less than or equal to half a percentage point, it will set an automatic recount in motion, according to Colorado law.
Something of a sleeper race, the contest between Boebert and Frisch did not draw national attention until Tuesday, when the Democrat challenger emerged with a lead over the Republican incumbent after the polls had closed.
A freshman lawmaker, Boebert has made headlines during her tenure in Congress most notably for refusing to wear a mask and supporting Trump's claims of widespread election fraud.
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted about Boebert potentially losing the race early Wednesday.
"Just a shout out to my Dad who lives in her district and told me last month @laurenboebert could lose and I didn't believe him," Psaki said.
"To be clear we don't know yet!" Psaki continued in a follow up message. "But the fact that we are talking about it and watching is huge."