Lauren Boebert claims she's 'protecting my voters' by abandoning them for a safer district — but Colorado GOP officials are still stewing about her carpetbagging

• Rep. Lauren Boebert's district-switch gambit is continuing to cause headaches in Colorado.
• She claimed in a recent interview that she's "protecting my voters" from a Democrat.
• But local Republicans are continuing to grumble about her decision to carpetbag.

Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert's recent decision to switch congressional districts is continuing to cause headaches back home in Colorado.

While she has the backing of national GOP leadership, she faces an already-established field of formidable opponents who actually live in the state's 4th congressional district, a more Republican-leaning district that's on the opposite side of the state from where Boebert lives.

Among her opponents is Colorado House Minority Leader Mike Lynch — one of the highest-ranking Republicans in state politics — who told Colorado Public Radio that Boebert's decision was "unfortunate."

"I think it's an unfortunate turn of the field, to be honest with you, because that distraction really takes away from the issues we should be focusing on," said Lynch. "Obviously, she's got more money and more name recognition, but that is my job to present a better candidate than her."

But Boebert is continuing to defend the move — broadly known as "carpetbagging" — by arguing that she's protecting her original district from being represented by a Democrat.

"I am protecting my voters in this move," Boebert told the Durango Herald this week, saying that Democrats were trying to "buy this seat" with millions of dollars in spending.

Boebert was already facing a tough reelection after defeating Democratic candidate Adam Frisch by less than 600 votes in 2022.

Then came her "Beetlejuice" scandal, where she was caught on camera vaping and apparently groping a male partner in a crowded Denver theater, leading to her ejection.

Before opting to run for a different district, Boebert had embarked on something of an apology tour back home.

Dave Williams, the chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, is continuing to express skepticism about the decision, arguing it hurts the party.

"We now are going to have a nominee that is not as well known, that doesn't have as much money or the ability to fundraise as much money as Lauren Boebert did," Williams told the Durango Herald. "So from a party chair's perspective, we're going to have to spend more money, more resources and more effort boosting a nominee that doesn't have as great of a name ID."

He also said Boebert would have to convince her new voters "why it's appropriate for her to leave [her old district] and represent a completely different geographical, and I think, cultural constituency."