Lauren Boebert election news – Democrat concedes Colorado race

Democratic challenger Adam Frisch has conceded to MAGA Republican Lauren Boebert after a close race that was likely headed to an automatic recount as the election in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District remains too close to call.

With 99 per cent of votes now counted, the right-wing extremist is leading by just 551 votes or 0.16 percentage points.

An automatic recount is triggered if neither candidate has enough votes to win by a margin of more than 0.5 per cent. A recount must be completed by 13 December.

Ms Boebert tried to declare herself the winner on Thursday night.

“We won! I am so thankful for all of your support and I am so proud to be your Representative!” she tweeted, along with a video claiming victory.

The election denier and Donald Trump ally was instantly mocked by people on social media who schooled her: “You haven’t won. Nice try to just claim it anyway.”

Boebert v Frisch

• Lauren Boebert calls for Pelosi’s firing as GOP looks set to take House

• Boebert race for Congress in Colorado heads to likely recount

• Boebert’s lead narrows as more ballots are processed in tight race

• How Republicans won control of the House

• Boebert’s hometown reacts to her expected landslide win slipping away

• How the tight race has caught everyone off guard

Adam Frisch stressed that the wait for Colorado results is ‘nothing nefarious, it’s just part of democracy'

Wednesday 16 November 2022 17:30 , Alex Woodward

Adam Frisch rebuked “scaremonger” efforts from Republicans in the wake of Election Day who have falsely claimed that delays in vote counts are evidence of malfeasance.

“The easier it is to vote, I think the longer it takes to actually count,” he told Colorado Public Radio.

“And for Colorado and California and some other states that bend over backward to make sure every vote counts and everyone should vote, it sometimes takes longer than we’d all like to see happen,” he said.

County clerks and staff from both parties are working to “cure” or fix any oustanding ballots with signature issues or other problems to ensure those votes count ahead of a critical midnight deadline. The race between Mr Frisch and Lauren Boebert could hinge on batches of such ballots.

“It’s almost like a ‘Get out the vote’ operation again,” he said. “And as some of that can be done on the phone, a lot of that is boots on the ground. And the vast majority of people voted, they certainly want their vote to count. So the vast majority of the people are happy to actually hear back from them that something on a technical basis might stop their vote from being counted again. It’s nothing nefarious, it’s just part of democracy.”

Adam Frisch is already in Washington for new member orientation. He says he has support from some Republicans

Wednesday 16 November 2022 18:30 , Alex Woodward

Adam Frisch is in Washington DC with a handful of other candidates who have not won their undecided races but are locked in too-close-to-call contests.

Mr Frisch is challenging Coloroado’s Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert

“There’s a handful of us, five or six from either party, that are going through training and going through the motions and getting pictures taken. I try to sit on the very edge just in case they have to cut me out at the end. And we’re learning,” he told Colorado Public Radio.

He said that members of Congress “are very supportive of me on the Democratic side and Republican side.”

“I’ve been talking to Democrats and Republicans, new members of Congress,” he said. “Yes, there’s definitely some Republicans that are cheering for me. But everyone understands in a bipartisan manner that every year, every cycle, there’s a handful of people that are in this position where they’re too close to call. So they can’t define it legally, but it’s so close that it’s important for them to come and go through the process.”

ICYMI: Colorado voters elect state’s first Latina member of Congress

Wednesday 16 November 2022 19:00 , Alex Woodward

Democrats picked up an unexpected House seat in Colorado in a tight race that’s not the Boebert v Frisch contest.

Democratic candidate Yadira Caraveo won the race for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, a newly drawn district after the 2020 Census and redistricting process.

She will be the state’s first-ever Latina member of Congress. Her opponent Barbara Kirkmeyer conceded the race last week.

Colorado Republican political analyst: State’s GOP ‘let anger eat its soul’

Wednesday 16 November 2022 19:48 , Alex Woodward

After the state’s GOP faced an “extinction-level event” with sweeping election failures last week, including Lauren Boebert’s too close to call race that analysts thought would be an easy win, Republican political analyst Kelly Maher with 9News said “somewhere along the line, we confused contrasting our ideas on how to govern with yelling at and about people.”

“We thought the cruelest amongst us were the most principled and fighting the hardest. We let our anger eat at our souls,” she writes.

Here’s how a recount process would work in Colorado

Wednesday 16 November 2022 21:15 , Alex Woodward

The race for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District is still too close to call, but it could be headed to an automatic recount if either candidate fails to win by a margin of more than 0.5 per cent.

Colorado voters have until 11.59pm MT to “cure” or fix errors on their ballots that could lead to them being rejected. The deadline also applies to overseas voters and military service members returning their ballots.

Following that deadline, Colorado’s secretary of state’s office selects at least one statewide contest and at least one contest in each county to audit, based on staff recommendations and analysis from Democratic and Republican election officials, according to a spokesperson for the secretary of state speaking to The New York Times.

A randomised audit then must be completed by 29 November, and bipartisan canvass boards also will perform a canvass that compares ballots cast to the number of people who voted.

If the candidates are still separated by less than one half of one percentage point, the secretary of state could order a mandatory recount, which must be completed by 13 December.

Political parties also can request a recount (which they must pay for), which must be completed by 15 December.

Voters complain of harassment from national campaigns to fix ballot errors as Boebert leads on razor’s edge

Wednesday 16 November 2022 22:30 , Alex Woodward

Pueblo County’s clerk and recorder offices are receiving complaints that national groups are harassing them to fix issues with their mail-in ballots so they can be counted in an exceptionally tight race between incumbent Lauren Boebert and Adam Frisch.

“They are in a frenzy that is created by this close vote,” Pueblo County Clerk Gilbert “Bo” Ortiz told NBC affiliate 9News in Colorado.

“My concern is are they turning voters off from voting in future elections by being rude,” he added.

He told Colorado Public Radio that voters are getting multiple phone calls and text messages and “people showed up at their house.”

It remains unclear how many outstanding ballots need to be “cured” before they can be counted in the close contest. The Republican congresswoman is leading by roughly 1,100 votes as of Wednesday morning.

They have until midnight on Wednesday to fix those issues, prompting a race across the large congressional district’s 27 counties by staff and volunteers from both parties to make sure those ballots are counted.

Republicans security slim majority in the House with 218 seats

Wednesday 16 November 2022 23:45 , Alex Woodward

Republicans have captured 218 seats in the House in midterm elections, a net gain of eight seats thus far, giving the GOP a slim majority to control the lower chamber of Congress.

Democratic candidates have won 210 seats.

Seven seats are still to be determined. Results continue to be processed and major news networks will make their projections based on vote counts and outstanding ballots.

Breaking news: Republicans win House majority on strength of gerrymandered districts and rebuke to Biden

Wednesday 16 November 2022 23:52 , Alex Woodward

When the 118th Congress convenes on 3 January, Republicans will control the House of Representatives for the first time in four years after meeting the required 218 seats necessary to form a majority in last week’s midterm elections.

GOP wins House majority on gerrymandered districts and rebuke to Biden

Joe Biden issues statement as Republicans win House majority

Thursday 17 November 2022 00:13 , Alex Woodward

President Joe Biden congratulated Kevin McCarthy and House Republicans after the GOP won 218 seats in the House of Representatives.

“Last week’s elections demonstrated the strength and resilience of American democracy,” he said in a statement. “There was a strong rejection of election deniers, political violence, and intimidation. There was an emphatic statement that, in America, the will of the people prevails.”

The president is “ready to work with House Republicans to deliver results for working families.”

“In this election, voters spoke clearly about their concerns: the need to lower costs, protect the right to choose, and preserve our democracy,” he added. “As I said last week, the future is too promising to be trapped in political warfare. The American people want us to get things done for them. They want us to focus on the issues that matter to them and on making their lives better. And I will work with anyone - Republican or Democrat - willing to work with me to deliver results for them.”

Deadline approaches for voters to correct their ballots

Thursday 17 November 2022 02:00 , Alex Woodward

Colorado voters with errors on their ballots have until the end of Wednesday to correct them, and candidates and political parties have fanned out across Colorado’s massive 3rd congressional district for several days to help voters fix any ballot issues.

A race between Lauren Boebert and her Democratic challenger Adam Frisch could hinge on some of those ballots.

Adam Frisch: The wait for Colorado results is ‘nothing nefarious, it’s just part of democracy’

Thursday 17 November 2022 03:00 , Alex Woodward

Adam Frisch rebuked “scaremonger” efforts from Republicans in the wake of Election Day who have falsely claimed that delays in vote counts are evidence of malfeasance.

“The easier it is to vote, I think the longer it takes to actually count,” he told Colorado Public Radio.

“And for Colorado and California and some other states that bend over backward to make sure every vote counts and everyone should vote, it sometimes takes longer than we’d all like to see happen,” he said.

County clerks and staff from both parties are working to “cure” or fix any oustanding ballots with signature issues or other problems to ensure those votes count ahead of a critical midnight deadline. The race between Mr Frisch and Lauren Boebert could hinge on batches of such ballots.

“It’s almost like a ‘Get out the vote’ operation again,” he said. “And as some of that can be done on the phone, a lot of that is boots on the ground. And the vast majority of people voted, they certainly want their vote to count. So the vast majority of the people are happy to actually hear back from them that something on a technical basis might stop their vote from being counted again. It’s nothing nefarious, it’s just part of democracy.”

What’s next for counting Colorado ballots

Thursday 17 November 2022 04:00 , Alex Woodward

A massive 27-county congressional district hinges on remaining ballots that are being processed and tallied.

Ballot processing resumed after the weekend after a Veterans Holiday on Friday.

Voters had until Wednesday night to “cure” ballots that were initially rejected due to missing signatures or other issues.

Clerks also were waiting for military ballots and ballots from voters overseas, as long as those ballots were postmarked by 7pm on Election Day.

Those ballots were batched with a smaller number of ballots that were set aside to be counted with the batches of “cured” ballots and overseas and miitary ballots, an effort to randomise the ballots and preserve voter anonymity, particularly in smaller counties, because the list of military and overseas voters and curable ballots are public records.

Who is Lauren Boebert?

Thursday 17 November 2022 07:00 , Alex Woodward

Before her election to Congress in 2020, Lauren Boebert first made headlines not as a politician but as a restauranteur. Her establishment, called Shooters, grabbed the public’s attention thanks to its wait staff openly carrying firearms during their shifts. She also refused to stop offering in-door dining during the Covid-19 pandemic.

During her campaign and congressional tenure, Ms Boebert has been criticised for saying she “hopes [QAnon] is true,” closeness with the Proud Boys right-wing gang, and claiming she is “with the militias.” She faced further scrutiny after aligning herself with the Capitol rioters on January 6 and tweeting “today is 1776” while Trump loyalists attacked the building and Capitol police.

Graig Graziosi writes:

Everything to know about Lauren Boebert

‘People want the circus to stop’

Thursday 17 November 2022 08:00 , Alex Woodward

Before Election Day, The Independent’s Sheila Flynn talked with Adam Frisch about why he decided to run against Lauren Boebert, whose brand of “angertainment” motivated him to run against her.

‘People want the circus to stop’: Could Lauren Boebert be in trouble?

The husband and wife duo who nearly caused the midterms’ biggest upset

Thursday 17 November 2022 09:00 , Alex Woodward

The Independent’s Eric Garcia spoke with the husband and wife political duo who joined a coalition of Democratic leaders and activists boosting Lauren Boebert’s Democratic challenger Adam Frisch, who shocked analysts by getting within a razor’s edge of the Republican incumbent, who was expected to cruise to re-election..

The secret behind the biggest upset of the midterms. No Biden, no Pelosi, no Schumer

ICYMI: Here’s how Lauren Boebert’s hometown felt about her expected landslide win slipping away

Thursday 17 November 2022 10:00 , Alex Woodward

An unexpectedly tight race between Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert and Democratic candidate Adam Frisch stunned even his supporters.

The race is still too close to call. Here’s what The Independent’s Sheila Flynn heard from voters in Rifle, Colorado after Election Day:

Here’s how Boebert’s hometown feels about her expected landslide win slipping away

Kevin McCarthy faces ‘an almost impossible task’ if Republicans win the House

Thursday 17 November 2022 11:00 , Alex Woodward

As the Democrats’ chances to hold the House majority narrow, the floodgates for Kevin McCarthy’s own personal hell are about to open. A thin majority will mean Mr McCarthy is more of a prisoner to far-right members like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert, writes The Independent’s Eric Garcia.

To get a better idea of what’s going to happen for House Republicans, he spoke with Brendan Buck, who worked for former GOP House Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan.

Mr Buck quickly diagnosed the disease that caused Republicans to have a less-than-stellar midterm performance:

What awaits Kevin McCarthy if Republicans win: ‘This is an almost impossible task

GOP megadonor splits with Trump: Time for ‘new generation of leaders’

Thursday 17 November 2022 12:00 , Alex Woodward

An influential conservative donor announced on Tuesday that he was not supporting Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, reflecting the growing fractures in the GOP after midterm elections.

“America does better when its leaders are rooted in today and tomorrow, not today and yesterday,” Blackston CEO Stephen Schwarzman told Axios.

GOP megadonor splits with Trump: Time for ‘new generation of leaders’

Boebert v Frisch race could be called as soon as today

Thursday 17 November 2022 12:39 , Megan Sheets

The results in Lauren Boebert’s race against Adam Frisch for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District could be called as soon as today, experts say.

The deadline for voters to fix ballot discrepancies and for county clerks to receive military and overseas votes passed on Wednesday.

Now, there are believed to be a few thousand votes outstanding as Ms Boebert continues to hold a 0.4 per cent lead over Mr Frisch, according to the Associated Press.

All ballots must be counted by Friday.

Should the race stay within a margin of 0.5 per cent, a recount will be called automatically.

Both candidates have already begun preparing for that possibility.

How Republicans won control of the House

Thursday 17 November 2022 14:00 , Megan Sheets

Republicans have won a slim majority of seats in the House of Representatives, giving the GOP control of the lower chamber of Congress.

Republicans gained numerous seats in places where a majority of voters elected Joe Biden just two years ago, with races in Democratic strongholds such as New York falling into the GOP column for the first time in many years after courts rejected a congressional map that would have favoured the Democratic Party by a large margin.

Still, it was far from the “red wave” anticipated by Republicans, with embattled Democrats in critical races managing to protect their seats as voters – particularly young people and women – rejected far-right campaigns on abortion rights, Mr Trump’s looming precense and the GOP’s worryingly antidemocratic agenda.

Democratic candidates also maintained control of the US Senate by flipping a Pennsylvania seat and scoring victories in critical battleground states, with a runoff election in Georgia between incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker set for 6 December.

GOP wins House majority on gerrymandered districts and rebuke to Biden

What’s next for Colorado ballots and the race for the 3rd congressional district

Thursday 17 November 2022 14:30 , Alex Woodward

Good morning.

Final votes are being tallied to determine who represents a massive 27-county congressional district represented by Lauren Boebrt.

The outcome could hinge on remaining ballots that are being processed and tallied.

Ballot processing resumed after the weekend and after a Veterans Day holiday on Friday.

Voters had until Wednesday night to “cure” ballots that were initially rejected due to missing signatures or other issues.

Clerks also were waiting for military ballots and ballots from voters overseas, as long as those ballots were postmarked by 7pm on Election Day.

Those ballots were batched with a smaller number of ballots that were set aside to be counted with the batches of “cured” ballots and overseas and miitary ballots, an effort to randomise the ballots and preserve voter anonymity, particularly in smaller counties, because the list of military and overseas voters and curable ballots are public records.

A projection in the race could come at some point afterward, but the Secretary of State will certify the results 5 December.

She also can order recounts. An automatic recount will take place if the votes between the top two candidates equals less than 0.5 percent of the votes cast for the leading candidate.

Colorado Democrats expand majorities in state legislature

Thursday 17 November 2022 15:30 , Alex Woodward

After bracing for losing seats amid a projected “red wave” in midterm elections, Democrats in Colorado’s House and Senate instead expanded their majorities.

Democrats flipped five GOP-held seats in the House, where Democrats will expand to a 46-19 supermajority – enough to override vetoes without Republican support.

Democrats also flipped three Senate districts, resulting in a 23-12 majority – just one short of a supermajority.

Colorado is represented by a Democratic governor, with two Democratic senators and eight House members – five of whom are Democrats.

If Adam Frisch defeats Lauren Boebert, that figure will tick up to six, which would be a surprising but not altogether unexpected flip in a state with trending Democratic leadership.

The rise of the ‘crazy caucus’: All the ways the GOP could upend America now that they’ve won the House

Thursday 17 November 2022 16:00 , Alex Woodward

Former Republican officeholders told The Independent that Republicans won’t hold back in their efforts to hurt the Biden administration, consequences be damned.

All the ways the GOP could upend America now that they’ve won the House

Nancy Pelosi to exit Democratic leadership: ‘We must move boldly into the future’

Thursday 17 November 2022 17:46 , Alex Woodward

After two decades in Democratic leadership, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress “must move boldly into the future” and remain “open to fresh possibilities of the future

In emotional remarks on the House floor on Thursday, after Republicans were projected to hold a majority of seats in the lower chamber of Congress, Ms Pelosi said she will continue to serve her district as the congresswoman representing San Francisco, but she will not seek re-election to a leadership role.

Nancy Pelosi announces her exit from Democratic leadership after losing House

Boebert to Pelosi: ‘Good riddance'

Thursday 17 November 2022 18:03 , Alex Woodward

As additional ballots are processed and tallied in an exceptionally tight race to determine whether she remains in Congress, Colorado’s Lauren Boebert celebrated House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement that she will no longer remain in Democratic leadership after two decades.

“The Pelosi era is over,” she wrote. “Good riddance!”

Colorado will be the second state in US history with a majority-women state legislature

Thursday 17 November 2022 18:30 , Alex Woodward

Colorado is set to become the second state in US history with a state legislature that is majority women.

Nevada, the first state to reach that milestone, will retain its majority-women legislature following midterm elections.

After bracing for losing seats amid a projected “red wave” in midterm elections, Democrats in Colorado’s House and Senate have instead expanded their majorities.

Democrats flipped five GOP-held seats in the House, where Democrats will expand to a 46-19 supermajority – enough to override vetoes without Republican support.

Democrats also flipped three Senate districts, resulting in a 23-12 majority – just one short of a supermajority.

Lauren Boebert backs House Republican investigations into Biden family

Thursday 17 November 2022 19:25 , Alex Woodward

House Republicans wasted no time pursuing politically motivated investigations into President Joe Biden, holding a press conference on Thursday morning hours after winning a projected majority to announce the House Judiciary Commitee under GOP control will probe the president and his family.

The president has denied any connection to his son’s affairs, while federal law enforcement has investigated Hunter Biden since 2018. House Republicans are pushing ahead as they attempt to grind the Democratic administration to a halt.

“This is two years overdue and this is one of many reasons why it was so critical to take back the House!” Ms Boebert said on Twitter. “Looking forward to Biden and his family being held accountable.”

House Republicans announce investigations into Biden family after winning majority

Republicans skip Pelosi’s speech announcing she is stepping down as Democratic leader

Thursday 17 November 2022 20:00 , Alex Woodward

Notably absent from the House on Thursday: Republicans.

After winning a majority seats to take control of the House next year, the GOP side of the chamber was largely empty.

Republicans skip Pelosi’s speech announcing she is stepping down as Democratic leader

‘Other people were shocked by Lauren Boebert’s close race. I wasn’t'

Thursday 17 November 2022 20:30 , Alex Woodward

The Independent’s Sheila Flynn writes:

Other people were shocked by Lauren Boebert’s close race. I wasn’t

Adam Frisch thanks election workers as ballot counting and ‘curing’ underway

Thursday 17 November 2022 21:00 , Alex Woodward

Boebert’s lead narrows as more votes are counted in extremely tight race

Thursday 17 November 2022 21:24 , Alex Woodward

Lauren Boebert is leading by just 839 votes in a race to hang on to her congressional seat.

Her Democratic opponent Adam Frisch has netted 161,945 votes to Ms Boebert’s 162,784, according to updates from the secretary of state’s office at 4.30pm ET on Thursday.

An automatic recount is triggered if the votes between the two candidates equals less than 0.5 percent of the votes cast for the leading candidate.

A recount threshold at this point would be 814 votes.

‘Good riddance!’: Boebert celebrates Pelosi’s retirement from leadership

Thursday 17 November 2022 22:00 , Alex Woodward

Very few House Republicans took time out of their day to watch Nancy Pelosi reveal her plans for the 118th Congress, but some members took the occasion of the first woman to lead the House stepping down to issue crass missives on social media to celebrate her departure.

‘Good riddance!’: Boebert celebrates Pelosi’s retirement from leadership

Democrats line up behind Hakeem Jeffries as next House minority leader

00:00 , Alex Woodward

Top Democrats are coalescing their support behind longtime Democratic caucus chair Hakeem Jeffries to be the head of a new-look team that will lead Democrats after two decades under the trio of Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and James Clyburn.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

Democrats line up behind Hakeem Jeffries as next House minority leader

Boebert race for Congress in Colorado heads to likely recount

00:17 , Josh Marcus

The race between far-right Republican Lauren Boebert and Democratic challenger Adam Frisch for Colorado’s 3rd congressional district is headed to a likely recount, according to election observers.Given the present vote totals, neither candidate seems likely to possess the required 0.5 per cent margin of victory to win in the first round of counting.

However, as Cook Political Report editor Dave Wasserman notes, it’s “extremely rare for a lead of that size to be overturned in a recount,” pointing to Ms Boebert’s present lead of just over 550 votes.

'Nancy Pelosi: The most powerful woman in American politics. Period.’

01:00 , Alex Woodward

As outgoing House speaker Nancy Pelosi reveals her political future, Andrew Feinberg looks back on her legacy:

Nancy Pelosi: The most powerful woman in American politics. Period.

Marjorie Taylor Greene dodges question about most fentanyl being smuggled by US citizens – not migrants

02:00 , Alex Woodward

Far-right Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene dodged a question from The Independent when asked about her claims regarding the source of fentanyl crossing the US-Mexico border.

When asked about the fact that most fentanyl comes not from illegal border crossings but from legal ports of entry from American citizens, Ms Greene dodged the question.

“I would ask for where’s your proof on that because that’s not what we’ve been shown,” she said. “When we go to the border and we’re speaking with border patrol agents, when we’re on the ground, that’s not at all what we are being told.”

Then citing a study from the CATO Institute, a libertarian organisation that cited US government data, she rebuffed the study.

“The CATO Institute is not the border patrol,” she said.

Marjorie Taylor Greene dodges question about most fentanyl being smuggled US citizens

‘After Nancy Pelosi, get ready for a darker, weirder era in the House’

04:00 , Alex Woodward

Ahmed Baba writes:

After Nancy Pelosi, get ready for a darker, weirder era in the House

Republicans may now control the House of Representatives – but there’s a catch

05:00 , Alex Woodward

The lack of a signficant majority will come back to bite the GOP, writes Chris Stevenson:

Republicans may now control the House – but there’s a catch | Chris Stevenson

House Republican waste no time announcing investigations into Biden family

06:00 , Alex Woodward

House Republicans previewed a swathe of investigations into President Joe Biden and his family after narrowly winning back the lower chamber in the midterms.

The president has rejected any claims that he’s linked to his son’s affairs, but House Republicans are pushing ahead with a congressional probe to derail his administration.

Lauren Boebert cheered them on:

House Republicans announce investigations into Biden family after winning majority

‘Other people were shocked by Lauren Boebert’s close race. I wasn’t’

07:00 , Alex Woodward

The Independent’s Sheila Flynn writes:

Other people were shocked by Lauren Boebert’s close race. I wasn’t

ICYMI: Nancy Pelosi will step down from Democratic leadership

08:00 , Alex Woodward

After two decades in Democratic leadership, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress “must move boldly into the future” and remain “open to fresh possibilities” as she prepares to step down from her historic role.

In emotional remarks on the House floor on Thursday, after Republicans were projected to hold a majority of seats in the lower chamber of Congress, Ms Pelosi said she will continue to serve her district as the congresswoman representing San Francisco, but she will not seek re-election to a leadership role.

Republicans skip Pelosi’s speech announcing she is stepping down as Democratic leader

Colorado GOP facing ‘extinction-level event’ with midterm losses: ‘This was the asteroid that ended the reign of the dinosaur’

09:00 , Alex Woodward

Colorado is represented by a Democratic governor, with two Democratic senators and eight House members – five of whom are Democrats.

The close race between Lauren Boebert and Adam Frisch was likely a suprise to both candidates but not altogether unexpected in a state with trending Democratic leadership.

Last week, Republicans lost seven seats in Colorado’s state legislature, while another Republican state senator changed his party affiliation to Democratic before midterm elections.

That leaves the GOP with less than one third of the seats in both chambers, “the deepest Republican minority in state history,” according to Colorado Public Radio.

“Honestly I think Colorado Republicans need to take this and learn the lesson that the party is dead. This was an extinction-level event,” Republican state Rep Colin Larson told the outlet. “This was the asteroid that ended the reign of the dinosaur, and in this case, the dinosaur was the Republican party.”

Adam Frisch is already in Washington for new member orientation. He says he has support from some Republicans

10:00 , Alex Woodward

Adam Frisch is in Washington DC with a handful of other candidates who have not won their undecided races but are locked in too-close-to-call contests.

“There’s a handful of us, five or six from either party, that are going through training and going through the motions and getting pictures taken. I try to sit on the very edge just in case they have to cut me out at the end. And we’re learning,” he told Colorado Public Radio earlier this week.

He said that members of Congress “are very supportive of me on the Democratic side and Republican side.”

“I’ve been talking to Democrats and Republicans, new members of Congress,” he said. “Yes, there’s definitely some Republicans that are cheering for me. But everyone understands in a bipartisan manner that every year, every cycle, there’s a handful of people that are in this position where they’re too close to call. So they can’t define it legally, but it’s so close that it’s important for them to come and go through the process.”

How Republicans won control of the House

11:00 , Alex Woodward

When the new Congress convenes on 3 January, Republicans will control the House of Representatives for the first time in four years after winning enough seats in midterm elections to secure a slim majority in the chamber.

Still, it was far from the “red wave” anticipated by Republicans, with embattled Democrats in critical races managing to protect their seats as voters – particularly young people and women – rejected far-right campaigns on abortion rights, Mr Trump’s looming precense and the GOP’s worryingly antidemocratic agenda.

GOP wins House majority on gerrymandered districts and rebuke to Biden

‘People want the circus to stop’

12:00 , Alex Woodward

Before Election Day, The Independent’s Sheila Flynn talked with Adam Frisch about why he decided to run against Lauren Boebert, whose brand of “angertainment” motivated him to run against her.

‘People want the circus to stop’: Could Lauren Boebert be in trouble?

Lauren Boebert mocked for trying to declare herself winner

12:50 , Rachel Sharp

Despite the race remaining too close to call, Lauren Boebert tried to declare herself the winner on Thursday night.

“We won! I am so thankful for all of your support and I am so proud to be your Representative!” she tweeted, along with a video claiming victory.

The election denier and Donald Trump ally was instantly mocked by people on social media who schooled her about the fact that there is currently no winner as the race is headed for a recount.

“You haven’t won. Nice try to just claim it anyway,” one person tweeted.

“Uh no. You know it’s going to a recount, right?” added another.

“Not yet Bobo. The narrow margin means there has to be a recount according to Colorado law. But we all know that facts aren’t your strong suit,” another person chimed in.

Others pointed to the fact she was echoing her idol Mr Trump and his lies about the 2020 election being “stolen”.

“She’s just laying groundwork to say it was stolen,” one person tweeted.

Who is Lauren Boebert?

13:30 , Rachel Sharp

Before her election to Congress in 2020, Lauren Boebert first made headlines not as a politician but as a restauranteur. Her establishment, called Shooters, grabbed the public’s attention thanks to its wait staff openly carrying firearms during their shifts. She also refused to stop offering in-door dining during the Covid-19 pandemic.

During her campaign and congressional tenure, Ms Boebert has been criticised for saying she “hopes [QAnon] is true,” closeness with the Proud Boys right-wing gang, and claiming she is “with the militias.” She faced further scrutiny after aligning herself with the Capitol rioters on January 6 and tweeting “today is 1776” while Trump loyalists attacked the building and Capitol police.

Graig Graziosi writes:

Everything to know about Lauren Boebert

Boebert mocked for posting video claiming victory

15:43 , Oliver O'Connell

Colorado Rep Lauren Boebert has been mocked online for declaring victory in her too-close-to-call race for re-election to the House of Representatives.

Here’s the reaction to the video she posted to Twitter last night:

Boebert mocked for video claiming victory in her Colorado House race as recount looms

What is the threshold for an automatic recount?

16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

In Colorado, recounts are automatically initiated when the margin between two candidates is less than 0.5 per cent of the leader's vote total.

In this race, that threshold currently sits at 818 votes. At present there are just 551 votes separating Lauren Boebert and Adam Frisch.

As of Friday morning the vote totals are:

• Lauren Boebert: 50.8% (163,758 votes)

• Adam Frisch: 49.92% (163,207 votes)

Adam Frisch thanks election workers as ballot counting and ‘curing’ underway

16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Kevin McCarthy reveals why he skipped Nancy Pelosi’s departure speech

17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy revealed why he skipped outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s address announcing that she would step aside from her position as Democratic leader.

Mr McCarthy, largely expected to succeed Ms Pelosi as speaker of the House, told reporters he was busy in meetings.

Eric Garcia reports for The Independent.

Kevin McCarthy reveals why he skipped Nancy Pelosi’s departure speech

The husband and wife duo who accidentally caused the midterms’ biggest upset

17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia, The Independent’s Washington bureau chief, takes a look at how the Rep Lauren Boebert’s seat became such a close race.

The secret behind the biggest upset of the midterms. No Biden, no Pelosi, no Schumer

Meanwhile in DC, Democrats prepare new leadership team

18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Andrew Feinberg reports from Capitol Hill.

Hakeem Jeffries declares candidacy to replace Nancy Pelosi as House Democratic leader

Democrat Adam Frisch concedes to Lauren Boebert after tight Colorado race

18:51 , Eric Garcia

The Democratic House candidate who unexpectedly put Representative Lauren Boebert in a tough race for re-election conceded his race for Colorado’s 3rd district on Friday afternoon.

In a video discussion, Mr Frisch announced his race against Ms Boebert had come to an end.

Democrat Adam Frisch concedes to Lauren Boebert after tight Colorado race

Boebert looking forward to ‘focusing on conservative governance'

19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep Lauren Boebert tweeted: “Adam Frisch called me to concede this race. I look forward to getting past election season and focusing on conservative governance in the House majority. Time to get to work!”

Adam Frisch thanks his supporters

20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Adam Frisch has posted a message of thanks to his supporters and released a video saying that running to represent the district “has been the honour of my lifetime”.

“Thank you for the support, encouragement, and inspiration.”

Reps Boebert and Massie meet with Kyle Rittenhouse

21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Reps Lauren Boebert and Thomas Massie, co-chairs of the Second Amendment Caucus, met with Kyle Rittenhouse on Capitol Hill last night around the time the Colorado lawmaker recorded her “victory” video.

In 2021, Mr Rittenhouse was acquitted on charges of homicide, attempted homicide, and reckless endangerment after fatally shooting two men and injuring a third during a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin on 25 August 2020, claiming self defence.

Ms Boebert, who has gun rights placed firmly at the centre of her political career, said of his visit that it was “a joy to have you with us!”

Earlier: Frisch concedes race against Boebert, files for 2024 rematch

21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Democrat Adam Frisch conceded Friday in his tight U.S. House race against RepublicanLauren Boebert that is likely headed to a recount, but highlighted how his surprisingly strong showing revealed that Republican voters in the sprawling Colorado district are tiring of Boebert’s brash style.

The Associated Press has declared the election in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District too close to call. AP will await the results of a potential recount to call the race. With nearly all votes counted, the incumbent Boebert leads Democrat Adam Frisch by 0.16 percentage points, or 551 votes out of nearly 327,000 votes counted.

Frisch concedes to Lauren Boebert in Colorado race--files for rematch in 2024