OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Republican Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert has won her contest to keep her place in the United States House of Representatives.
After counting votes for more than a week and having a razor thin vote advantage, her opponent, Democrat Adam Frisch announced that he had called Rep. Boebert and conceded, CNN reported.
“The likelihood of this recount changing more than a handful of votes is very small. Very, very small. It’d be disingenuous and unethical for us or any other group to continue to raise false hope and encourage fundraising for a recount,” he said. “Colorado elections are safe, accurate, and secure. Please save your money for your groceries, your rent, your children, and for other important causes and organizations. I just got off the phone with Rep. Boebert. I called her to formally concede this election.”
Running to represent the amazing people of #CO03 has been the honor of my lifetime.
Thank you for the support, encouragement, and inspiration. https://t.co/XH9v2oKdgF
— Adam Frisch for CD-3 (@AdamForColorado) November 18, 2022
The representative acknowledged that her opponent had called and conceded.
“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!” he said.
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!
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) November 18, 2022
BREAKING: 🔴 Lauren Boebert (R)
wins re-election to the U.S. House in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District pic.twitter.com/pHfblpEnoC— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) November 18, 2022
The current representative is ahead by a mere 551 votes against her challenger, former Aspen City Council member Adam Frisch, Fox News reported. By state law when the lead is less than .5 percent an automatic recount is triggered. No major media organization has called the contest for either candidate.
A recount in the race could take several weeks to complete. A Colorado statute instructs that a recount must be completed 35 days after the general election, which would be Dec. 13 this year. Regardless of any potential recount, Boebert declared victory Thursday night in a video posted on social media.
“I’m told that there are less than 200 votes outstanding, which makes me so happy to announce we have won this race!” she said. “With this victory and with Republicans in control of the House of Representatives, we can focus on the issues that actually matter most, including getting inflation under control, increasing our domestic energy supply, securing the southern border, and being a strong check on the White House.”
“Now, over the next couple of weeks, this race will have an automatic recount, which will be completed in early December,” she said. “My campaign team and our lawyers will definitely make sure everything is conducted properly. Past recounts in Colorado have resulted in far fewer votes being adjusted than anything that could affect the current outcome we’re seeing tonight in this race.”
“So come January, you can be certain of two things. I will be sworn in for my second term as your congresswoman, and Republicans can finally turn Pelosi’s House back into the People’s House,” the representative said.
“Thank you to every volunteer that made calls, knocked doors, and, of course, to each of you that is entrusted me with your vote. I am honored to be your representative. I pray for you and I am so grateful for you. God bless you tonight,” she said.
But her opponent posted a message of his own.
“The volunteers who have spent hours—including sleepless nights—getting ballots cured & counted in #CO03 deserve the nation’s thanks as they complete one of the most democratic processes in the world and ensure the integrity of our elections,” he said.
“The outpouring of support from around the country and even the world since Election Day has been overwhelming & humbling.
Running in this race, getting to know so many people in my district & hearing your stories has been an honor of a lifetime. Stay tuned,” he said.
California Rep. Nancy Pelosi has announced that she will not campaign to be Democrat leader anymore, but she will stay as a member of Congress.
“I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” the Speaker said on Thursday. “For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect, and I’m grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility.”
But the question has become who will replace her as the Democrat House Minority Leader when the new Congress convenes in January?
The favorite is Democrat New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.
“Breaking: Leader Hoyer just announced he will NOT seek elected leadership in the 118th Congress. He, like Speaker Pelosi, will remain in Congress. AND he adds: ’I am proud to offer my strong endorsement to Hakeem Jeffries for Democratic Leader,’” reporter Kyle Griffin said.
Breaking: Leader Hoyer just announced he will NOT seek elected leadership in the 118th Congress. He, like Speaker Pelosi, will remain in Congress.
AND he adds: "I am proud to offer my strong endorsement to Hakeem Jeffries for Democratic Leader."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 17, 2022
But he has his own baggage as someone who questioned the validity of the 2016 election.
Hakeem Jeffries accused Trump of trying to steal the 2020 election before voting began.
He also said that Trump cheated to win the 2016 election, and called it an "illegitimate" election. https://t.co/6znijiTxsi pic.twitter.com/fsEtI0BquJ
— Matt Wolking (@MattWolking) November 17, 2022
Politico reported:
The race to succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the leader of House Democrats may have been clinched at a meeting in the Capitol on Sept. 1. That’s when House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York slipped back to Washington to connect in Clyburn’s office during the summer congressional recess at Jeffries’ request. Jeffries, the fifth-ranking House Democrat who aspires to be the first-ranking House Democrat in the next Congress, was picking up heightened chatter from colleagues about California Rep. Adam Schiff’s outreach expressing his own interest in the top caucus job.
“There’s nothing I would ever do to impede the progress of our up-and-coming young Democrats and I see him as an up-and-coming young Democrat,” House Majority Whip and Democrat South Carlina Rep. Jim Clyburn said. “He knows that, I didn’t have to tell him that — but I did.”
