colorado proposes a new electoral map that could oust trump ally lauren boebert from congress as her home is lumped into blue districts
Lauren Boebert could lose her seat in the House of Representative as a new proposed Colorado district map moves the congresswoman's home into a more liberal district currently represented by Democratic Representative Joe Neguse.
The nonpartisan Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions released its first map outlining the new congressional districts based on the 2020 Census Bureau data. It previously released a sketch in June based off population estimates.
The new map would lump in the entire northern part of the current 3rd district, represented by Boebert, into Neguse's 2nd district. Not only would this move a huge group of Boebert's constituents into a blue district, it would also mean Boebert's home is now located in the 2nd district.
The Constitution only requires House members to live in the state they represent, not the exact district, so Boebert could decide to run again in the 3rd District.
If she plans to run in 2022 for the 2nd district seat, however, Boebert would now face a tough race in a solidly-Democratic district.
Boebert, a 34-year-old mother of four boys, lives in Silt, Colorado, which is in Garfield county – a district currently in the more northern section of the 3rd congressional district that would be swallowed into the 2nd district if the new proposal is accepted.
The version of the redistricted map splits the state into four safe Democratic seats, three safe Republican seats and a new swing seat just north of Denver where Democratic voters outnumbered Republicans by just 1.9 percentage points in the 2020 Senate election.
A proposed redistricted map in Colorado would move GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert's home into Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse's district - likely leading to a head-to-head in a blue district. Shown above are the current districts represented by the two lawmakers
The new map based on the 2020 census results would take a large chunk of the northern part of Boebert's district and lump it into the 2nd district, represented by Neguse
Boebert, a staunch Trump ally and 2nd Amendment defender, was elected to Congress in November 2020 to represent Colorado's 3rd Congressional District.
Neguse, 37, who has served in Congress since 2019, was among the House Democrats who helped manage the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump.
The Democrat also immediately began using the proposed redistricting map as a donation push as the potential grows for him to run against Boebert.
'So, if the redistricting map released tonight holds, looks like I may be running for re-election against . . . Lauren Boebert,' Neguse tweeted Friday along with a link to donate to his campaign with the prompt: 'Join our team today'.
Boebert's team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposed map and prospect of going up against Neguse.
Neguse immediately used the prospect of the new map to fundraise off off potentially running against Boebert in 2022
The congresswoman and her husband Jayson own Shooter Grill in Rifle, Colorado – also located in Garfield County. The restaurant was opened in 2013 and encourages staff members to openly carry firearms.
Boebert claims she obtained a concealed carry permit after a man was 'beat to death by another man's hands ... outside of my restaurant', at which time she also began encouraging servers to open carry.
Now that the Colorado panel has issued a redistricting plan, a series of hearings will take place to debate the proposal and collect suggestions for possible changes.
Boebert isn't the only incumbent Republican facing complications with redistricting.
Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a moderate Trump critic, could lose his district altogether as Democrats, who are in charge of the map drawing in the state, proposed a map that would swallow up his district into two surrounding blue districts.