Midterm results: Adam Frisch concedes to GOP firebrand Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s 3rd District
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/midterm-results-colorado-house-lauren-boebert-adam-frisch
Democrat Adam Frisch has conceded to Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District in what shaped up to be a surprisingly competitive race in an otherwise blue district that was likely to head to a recount.
“I just got off the phone with Rep. Boebert. I called her to formally concede this election,” Frisch said in a video announcement. “Please know that in the coming weeks, I will pause and reflect on this race.”
Boebert was narrowly leading Frisch by just 0.16 percentage points as of late Thursday, putting the race well within the margin of a mandatory recount required under state law.
The race had been deemed too close to call by election forecasters, with the Associated Press noting it would await the results of the recount before making a determination. However, Boebert has already claimed victory in the race, arguing her slim lead won’t be diminished by a recount.
“The voters have spoken, and while we show great progress, I remain down by a few hundred votes. This small margin triggers an automatic recount in Colorado’s election system,” Frisch said. “We are not asking for this recount. … The likelihood of this recount changing more than a handful of votes is very small, very, very small. It would be disingenuous and unethical for us or any other group to continue to raise false hope and encourage fundraising for a recount.”
Frisch’s comments come after Boebert announced on Friday she had already launched a fundraising account to pay for legal fees to oversee the recount process, telling the Washington Examiner it “won’t be cheap.”
As of Friday morning, Boebert led Frisch by more than 500 votes, and roughly 200 votes are left to be counted, according to her campaign.
Looking ahead, Boebert said she is eager to serve in Congress while Republicans hold the majority in the House, noting that being in the minority is “not fun.”
“It is not easy. It’s very frustrating,” Boebert told the Washington Examiner. “In the majority, I’ll actually be able to do what I came here to do, and that’s govern. We will be able to put forward our policies, the policies that even Democrats ran on … saying they want to secure the border, saying they want to lower inflation and interest rates, get crime under control, and produce domestic energy.”
Frisch’s approach during the election was to pitch himself to voters as a centrist option against Boebert’s “extremism.” While he ran under the Democratic tag, he pitched a conservative platform based on competency rather than party.
Frisch is a former Aspen City Council member and small-business owner. His campaign focused on being “unapologetically pro-business” and believes in supporting law enforcement to bring down crime. This went against several left-wing lawmakers who have supported the “defund the police” movement.
Despite falling behind Boebert in several polls, he made strides to close the gap in early October. He received 45% support, compared to Boebert’s 47%, one of the closest polls during the midterm elections.
Boebert’s win is a boost for the Republican Party. She is considered to be one of the staunchest conservatives in the House, well known for her support of former President Donald Trump.
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Redistricting in Colorado assisted Boebert with her win, making the 3rd Congressional District even more GOP-leaning than before. Despite Frisch’s efforts to appeal to voters as a centrist option against Boebert’s “extremism,” Boebert used his Democratic tag against him during the campaign.
Boebert has emerged as one of the GOP’s most recognized freshman lawmakers, making headlines for her incendiary comments on topics ranging from gun rights to the coronavirus pandemic. Frisch launched his campaign as the antidote to her firebrand manner, framing himself as the “candidate to defeat Lauren Boebert.”
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