This story was originally published by Colorado Newsline at 4:35 PM on April 17, 2023
Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Silt has consistently ranked as one of Colorado’s top congressional fundraisers since her election to the 3rd District seat in 2020, raking in small-dollar contributions from a national network of grassroots conservative donors.
But in her bid to win a third term next year, she may have to overcome an even more prolific fundraising effort by her likely Democratic challenger.
Adam Frisch, a former Aspen City Council member who lost to Boebert by just 546 votes in the 2022 election, raised more than $1.7 million in the first quarter of 2023 — more than double the $763,000 raised by Boebert in the same period, according to Federal Election Commission disclosures.
“I am honored to be receiving the support of so many hardworking Colorado families,” Frisch said in a statement Monday. “Boebert’s fundraising numbers reaffirm that her days in Congress are numbered because she continues to ignore the needs of her district and instead prioritizes being a leader of the angertainment industry.”
If Boebert continues to trail Frisch in fundraising, it would be the first time the far-right representative has been at a financial disadvantage since her successful 2020 primary challenge against five-term GOP Rep. Scott Tipton. Boebert unseated Tipton despite raising just $133,256 to Tipton’s $973,739 in the first half of 2020.
In her bid for reelection last year, Boebert raised nearly $8 million, by far the highest total of any of Colorado’s U.S. House candidates. Frisch, who narrowly won a three-way Democratic primary with 42% of the vote, raised $4.4 million from donors and supplemented that with over $2.2 million in personal loans to his campaign.
Boebert was widely projected to win reelection by a comfortable margin in 2022, and neither Republicans nor Democrats spent heavily through super PACs to influence the 3rd District race. But after Frisch’s unexpectedly strong performance in a race that triggered Colorado’s first congressional recount in 20 years, the stage has been set for a potential blockbuster rematch next year.
Earlier this month, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee included the 3rd District, which encompasses most of Colorado’s Western Slope as well as Pueblo County, on its list of 2024 targets. A poll released by a progressive group last week showed Frisch and Boebert tied at 45% support among likely voters.
In what promises to be an unusually high-profile congressional race, both Boebert and Frisch continue to rely on contributions from out-of-state donors. About 63% of Boebert’s itemized donations in the first quarter came from contributors outside of Colorado; for Frisch, the figure was 57%.
In other U.S. House districts, Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo of Thornton, who was narrowly elected over Republican state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer as the first representative of Colorado’s new 8th District last year, reported raising $339,307 for her reelection, while Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Arvada, who was elected in the 7th District to succeed longtime former Rep. Ed Perlmutter, reporting raising $218,108. Neither candidate has yet drawn a Republican challenger.
