National Democrats target all four GOP-held Colorado congressional districts

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) on Aug. 5 added Colorado’s Republican-held 3rd and 4th congressional districts to its list of “districts in play,” expanding its offensive map to cover all four Republican-held seats in the state.

Rep. Jeff Hurd of Grand Junction represents the 3rd District, and Rep. Lauren Boebert of Windsor represents the 4th. The DCCC was already targeting Republican Rep. Jeff Crank of Colorado Springs in the 5th District and Republican Rep. Gabe Evans of Fort Lupton in the 8th. 

Democrats hold Colorado’s other four congressional seats, giving the party what it sees as a potential path to controlling the state’s entire House delegation of eight seats after the November midterm elections, according to The Colorado Sun.

The “districts in play” designation indicates that the DCCC considers a Republican-held district a potential pickup opportunity and will provide Democratic candidates with guidance and messaging support, the Sun reported. It does not, however, guarantee financial assistance. 

The committee’s latest expansion added 12 Republican-held seats nationwide to its offensive “districts in play” map, bringing the total number of targeted districts to 58. In its announcement, the DCCC cited dissatisfaction with Republican leadership and what it called its “winning message focused on fighting for an Affordable America” as reasons for the additional targets.

“MAGA Republicans who historically have considered themselves ‘safe’ have let down the people they were elected to represent, passing disastrous policies that are crushing working families and our communities,” DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said. “Democrats are going to win in November and make Hakeem Jeffries the next Speaker of the House.”

The Sun also pointed to Democrats’ winning performance in special elections nationwide and recent polling from The New York Times showing President Donald Trump’s popularity at low levels.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) dismissed the Democrats’ expanded map. 

“Instead of explaining why radical socialists hijacked the districts they actually need to win, they're pretending deep-red Republican seats are suddenly competitive,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella said in a statement cited by CBS News. “It's a pathetic coping mechanism from a committee that's watching its path to the House majority disappear.”

In Colorado, former Aspen city councilman Dwayne Romero, the Democratic candidate in the state’s 3rd District, released an internal, campaign-commissioned Keating Research poll showing him trailing Hurd by 1 percentage point, with 9% of likely voters undecided. The July 21-23 survey — cited by the Sun — included 500 likely voters and had a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.

In 2024, Hurd defeated Democrat Adam Frisch by 5 percentage points, receiving 50.8% to Frisch’s 45.8%. 

Retired Navy Rear Adm. Eileen Laubacher is challenging Boebert in Colorado’s 4th District. Laubacher raised about $10.35 million through the end of June and entered July with about $3.6 million on hand after spending roughly $6.6 million. Boebert’s campaign reported roughly $250,000 on hand at the start of July. 

Boebert won the district by nearly 12 points in 2024, according to the Sun. Her Republican predecessor, former Rep. Ken Buck, carried it by more than 24 points in 2022. 

The Cook Political Report currently rates the 3rd and 4th Districts “Solid Republican.” 

Even if Democrats do not capture the two seats, the Sun reported that making the races competitive could force Republicans to spend money defending Hurd and Boebert rather than directing those resources to closer contests elsewhere.