Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert switches districts

Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Republican Lauren Boebert announced Wednesday that she is switching districts to run for re-election in a more conservative congressional district, as she was expected to face a close rematch for her current seat against a Democratic challenger who has so far out-raised her.

Boebert, who represents the 3rd district of Colorado in the House of Representatives, announced in a video posted to social media Wednesday that she will seek the Republican nomination in the fourth congressional district, a seat to be left vacant by outgoing Rep. Ken Buck.

"It's the right move for me personally, and the right decision for those who support our conservative movement," she said. "This is the right move for Colorado, for us."

In Boebert's announcement, she acknowledged that it was "a pretty difficult year" for her and that it represents a "fresh start" as she went through a recent divorce. She also alluded to being escorted from a musical in September after being accused of vaping in the theater, acting inappropriately with her date and causing a disturbance.

She framed the shift from the third to fourth seat as an effort to protect it from being "stolen" by "dark money that is directed at me personally."

Boebert, a supporter of claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, was widely expected to again face Democrat Adam Frisch in the upcoming 2024 election for her seat. She beat Frisch in 2022 by a little more than 500 votes.

However, Frisch has so far raised $7.7 million for his 2024 campaign, compared to the $2.4 million Boebert has raised for her re-election, according to filings from the Federal Elections Commission.

In the last election, Buck secured his fifth term in the fourth district with more than 60% of the vote share, but announced in November he would not seek a sixth over his party's support of former President Donald Trump's incorrect claims that the 2020 election was stolen, its minimizing of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection attempt and its description of subsequent investigations as a weaponization of the justice system.

"We cannot lose the third, and Colorado's fourth district is hungry for an unapologetic defender of freedom with a proven track record of standing strong for conservative principles," Boebert said.