GOP's Lauren Boebert narrowly wins re-election after horse race that shocked America: report

Former Aspen City Council member Adam Frisch shocked the nation by coming so close to upsetting controversial first-term Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert in a sprawling Colorado district long considered to be a GOP stronghold.

According to projections by CNN, Boebert is the projected winner of the race for Colorado's third congressional district. Denver Post reported Friday that Frisch had called Boebert to concede the race.

The vote total for both candidates is currently within the margin that would trigger a recount under Colorado law. But Frisch has said a recount is unnecessary.

"It's likely the secretary of state will mandate this recount in the coming weeks," Frisch said, according to CBS News. "We are not asking for this recount. It's what the citizens of Colorado mandate through our elections system. We believe in integrity of elections in our great state of Colorado, and are supportive of this recount in our continued faith in the security of our elections; however, the likelihood of this recount changing more than a handful of votes is very small."

U.S. News described Boebert’s potential defeat as "the biggest upset of the 2022 election cycle," noting that the race was “considered locked in her favor.”

Boebert stormed onto the national scene only two years ago with an upset win against a Republican incumbent.

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"Lauren Boebert, a political novice and gun-rights activist who has spoken approvingly of the pro-Trump conspiracy theory QAnon, claimed an upset primary victory on Tuesday night against Representative Scott Tipton of Colorado, unseating a five-term incumbent endorsed by President Trump," The New York Timesreported in June of 2020.

Boebert's district is deep-red, but Frisch made a race out of it.

"Frisch garnered major national attention and even surpassed the deep-pocketed Boebert’s fundraising efforts in recent weeks. His strategy lay in his measured approach, regularly calling out the congresswoman’s divisive statements and noting whenever she was traveling the country rather than meeting with constituents in Colorado," The Denver Postreported. "The former Aspen City Council member regularly called Boebert a member of the 'anger-tainment' industry and criticized her for not passing any legislation in her first term. One of his most-repeated lines during town halls and debates stemmed from Boebert’s fixation on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi: 'I’m Adam Frisch, not Nancy Pelosi,' he would say."

Boebert's election day closing message on social media demonstrated her acerbic approach to politics.

"They called you cockroaches. They called you cult members. They called you extremists. They called you terrorists," Boebert claimed. "Today, we call them losers!"

Colorado's third congressional district covers roughly the western third of the state, including the Western Slope, and reaches all the way to Pueblo.

"Throughout her reelection campaign, the congresswoman repeatedly avoided saying whether she would concede the race if she lost, falling in line with her attempts to spread misinformation and falsehoods about the country’s election security," The Denver Post reported. "Controversy marked Boebert’s first term far more than policy successes. Her Christian nationalist rhetoric – calling for a religious takeover of America – most worried political and religious experts who warned that the comments threatened the country’s democratic foundations."

On election day, Boebert also tweeted, "Today is Red Wave Day! I love you and am humbled by all your support. I love being your Representative."

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