Boebert’s primary win was one of the most watched results in Colorado’s primaries. These elections settled intense battles among Republicans in the state, including two important House districts that could influence which party controls Congress in November.
Boebert switched from a politically divided district in Colorado to a safer Republican one. This move helps her avoid a rematch with the Democrat who almost beat her in the last election.
In Boebert’s old district, Jeff Hurd, a more traditional Republican, won the GOP primary. He will go up against Adam Frisch, the Democrat who almost beat Boebert by just 546 votes in 2022. This race is expected to be close. The district supported Trump with 53% of the vote in both 2016 and 2020.
Colorado’s most competitive US House race this fall is likely in the eighth district. First-term congresswoman Yadira Caraveo is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Her Republican opponent will be either state representative Gabe Evans, an army veteran and former police officer, or former state representative Janak Joshi, a retired physician endorsed by the state party.
Colorado’s primary landscape changed suddenly when former Republican congressman Ken Buck resigned in March. A staunch conservative, Buck quit out of frustration with his party, telling CNN, “Instead of having decorum and acting professionally, this place has devolved into bickering and nonsense.”
The intense Republican infighting during the primary election led to accusations that state GOP chair Dave Williams is running an "inquisition" and trying to "purify and purge the Republican party," according to former GOP chair Dick Wadhams at an Axios event in Denver.
Williams has been accused of improperly using the state party's email list to announce his campaign for Congress and spending party money on mailers attacking his Republican primary opponent, political consultant and talk radio host Jeff Crank.
The GOP chairman was also criticized for giving party candidates a policy questionnaire that acted as a loyalty test, with questions like "Do you support President Trump’s populist, America-first agenda?"
Kelly Maher, a veteran GOP operative who filed a complaint against Williams with the Federal Elections Commission, told the Associated Press that Williams is "cannibalizing the Republican party so he can go to Congress."
Buck, the former Republican congressman who resigned in March, triggered a special election for someone to finish the last six months of his term. This race will be on the ballot alongside the regularly scheduled primaries on Tuesday.
Former Parker mayor Greg Lopez is expected to win this race, but he intends to step down after the general election winner is sworn in as of January.
SOURCE: The Guardian