Dem drops out of race to take down Lauren Boebert

Democratic Trisha Calvarese announced Tuesday that she will not continue her campaign seeking a rematch against U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.

Calvarese said in a post on X that she will suspend her campaign and congratulated Eileen Laubacher, the leading Democrat in the race, who will likely face the incumbent Boebert, a Windsor Republican, in the November election.

“We showed the progress a grassroots Democrat can make without compromising fundamental values,” Calvarese said in the post. “I will continue to fight for the American middle class and the dignity of human work. The status quo cannot hold. But the future will be shaped by those who step forward to meet it and I will continue to do that work.”

Calvarese did not respond to a request for more information from Newsline ahead of publication.

Since launching her campaign last year, Laubacher has established a substantial fundraising advantage over her rivals, raising more money than every other candidate of either party in the race combined. In a statement, Laubacher applauded Calvarese’s energy and persistence.

“Over multiple cycles, she has helped elevate the visibility of this race and engage people across the district in meaningful ways, and her willingness to step forward in this race takes real courage,” Laubacher said. “It’s time to turn the corner and focus fully on what comes next and what matters most: defeating Lauren Boebert in November.”

The Democratic assembly for the 4th District is scheduled for Thursday, after county assemblies occurred throughout March. A third Democratic candidate, John Padora, is also on the assembly ballot, but with the vast majority of delegates already awarded to Laubacher, it is likely that she will be unopposed in the June primary.

Calvarese sued the Colorado Democratic Party in March, claiming that Laubacher was ineligible to participate in the Democratic caucus and assembly process because she was not registered as a Democrat for at least 12 consecutive months. A Denver judge did not find good cause to issue the orders the lawsuit requested barring Laubacher from the assembly process.

Laubacher, a retired Navy rear admiral and former National Security Council official, registered as a Democrat on March 27, 2025. Calvarese’s lawsuit argued Laubacher should not be eligible to participate in a district assembly that was initially scheduled for March 26.

Boebert beat Calvarese in the 2024 election by 12 percentage points. The 4th District, which includes most of Douglas County and the Eastern Plains, is the safest Republican-held district in the state.

Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com.