Recount ordered in tight Boebert, Frisch House race in Colorado

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D) ordered a mandatory recount in the state’s third district on Wednesday after a razor-thin midterm election race between incumbent Rep. Lauren Boebert (R) and her challenger Adam Frisch (D).

The secretary’s office officially announced the recount, required because the vote differential between Boebert and Frisch is within 0.5 percent of the leading incumbent’s total portion of votes, this week amid large-scale expectations that it would occur.

Colorado law calls for a recount whenever the differential is within that small margin of the winner’s total vote.

Boebert won last month’s midterm election with 50.08 percent of the vote to Frisch’s 49.92 percent, with the Democrat conceding the race.

The Republican garnered 550 more votes than her challenger, a total of 163,842 to 163,292.

“The results of the District 3 race reinforce the fact that every vote matters,” Griswold said in a statement.

“Colorado voters have made their voices heard, and I am ordering this recount in accordance with Colorado law to confirm the will of the voters.” 

All 27 counties in Colorado’s 3rd District will recount ballots pursuant to state law in a process that is required to finish by Dec. 13.

Boebert declared her victory in the nationally-watched race on Nov. 17, maintaining that the mandatory recount would not change her slight winning margin.

“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 close ally to former President Trump said at the time, adding that her campaign team lawyers would “definitely” ensure that the recount is conducted properly.

Frisch, a former city councilman, conceded to the incumbent the next day, agreeing that the recount is unlikely to change the outcome of the race.

“While I am fully supportive of the recount process, based on the history of Colorado recounts, I could not, in good faith, perpetuate false hope that there is a good chance of the recount changing the outcome of this election,” wrote Frisch on Thursday following the secretary of state’s recount announcement.

“When I launched this campaign, I promised to run this race with integrity because that is who I am.”