Lauren Boebert's carpetbagging victory is a vindication of her attention-grabbing antics
AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey
- Rep. Lauren Boebert won a GOP primary for a district she only moved into this year.
- That's despite facing charges of "carpetbagging" and her embarrassing "Beetlejuice" scandal.
- She triumphed against a crowded field of local candidates on the strength of her notoriety.
Rep. Lauren Boebert managed to pull it off.
The controversial congresswoman won a crowded GOP primary in Colorado's 4th congressional district on Tuesday, according to Decision Desk HQ and the Associated Press.
That's despite her only having lived there since the beginning of this year. Given that the district is far safer than the one she abandoned, Boebert is now on a glide path toward reelection in November.
In pulling off a win, Boebert managed to overcome significant headwinds, including the lingering embarrassment of her "Beetlejuice" scandal, fatigue with aspects of her political persona, and accusations of being a "carpetbagger."
One recent poll gives us a big clue as to how she pulled it off: name recognition.
Love her or hate her, you probably know who Lauren Boebert is, especially if you live in Colorado.
Polling from Kaplan Strategies conducted in May found that she had by far the highest name recognition among GOP primary voters in the district, with just 3% saying they didn't know who she was. The rest of her opponents hoverered around 50% name recognition.
The poll also revealed a substantial improvement of her image among GOP voters over time: In February, the same firm found that she had a net unfavorable rating, which she managed to turn around to a net favorable rating by May.
Of course, the congresswoman also caught a couple of lucky breaks along the way.
Rather than having to face one candidate head-to-head, she was able to dominate a crowded field of lesser-known candidates. She also caught a lucky break when local Republicans nominated a placeholder candidate to serve out the remainder of retiring Rep. Ken Buck's term, denying a potential advantage to one of her primary opponents.
On top of all that, Boebert won her old district by less than 600 votes in 2022, and a moderate Democrat backed by an avalanche of money appeared ready to throw her out of Congress this year.
But all in all, Boebert's primary victory sends a clear signal to other GOP candidates: Engaging in attention-getting tactics can pay off.
After all, how else would voters in Boebert's new district have known her name if she wasn't constantly appearing on cable news stations, or if she didn't have a massive social media following?
In an era where both television and social media have contributed to the nationalization of politics — the dissolution of local issues and concerns into a stew of nation narratives — candidates like Boebert can thrive, no matter where they might actually live.