U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert will not return to Congress after voters of Colorado’s 4th Congressional District elected Democrat Eileen Laubacher to take her seat.

The Associated Press called the race at 12:53 p.m. Friday, when Laubacher had 48.8% of the vote over Boebert’s 47.9%. The AP estimated 99% of the votes in the race were counted at the time.

Laubacher declared victory earlier this week, but Boebert declined to concede and emphasized that votes were still being counted to a group of reporters outside the Capitol Wednesday.

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Laubacher first declared victory over Boebert in the 4th District on November 10, while Boebert insisted that votes were still being counted.

Boebert said she would not run in 2028 if she loses to Laubacher. She blamed the financial backing Laubacher received for her loss.

“There’s a lot of money dumped on my head, and, I mean, I refuse to spend money like that again,” Boebert said. “I think it’s gross how much we dump into these races, and I was actually hoping to prove that seats just can’t be bought, but maybe I’ll be proven wrong. We’ll see.”

Laubacher attended orientation for new members of Congress this week.

Since launching her campaign last year, Laubacher established a substantial fundraising advantage over her rivals, raising more money than every other candidate of either party in the race combined.

“This victory is historic. But making history means nothing if we don’t make a difference,” Laubacher said in a statement after she declared victory Monday. “My focus is simple: lower costs, protect healthcare, strengthen rural communities, take on corruption in both parties, and hold Washington accountable.”

The 4th District, which includes most of Douglas County and the Eastern Plains, was previously considered safely Republican. Some analyses of the Boebert-Laubacher race recently put the district in the “leans Republican” category.

National Democrats looking to flip the district named it a top priority this election. The last Democrat to represent the district was former U.S. Representative Betsy Markey, who was elected in 2008. She served one term.

Laubacher, a first-time candidate, is a retired Navy rear admiral and former National Security Council official. She was a longtime Republican and switched her party affiliation, first to unaffiliated, and then to Democratic in 2024. She defended that action at a debate against Boebert by claiming her belief in personal liberties is currently found in the Democratic Party and that the GOP she historically supported is “nearly unrecognizable.”

Boebert, of Windsor, was first elected to represent the 3rd District on the Western Slope, but she moved across the state after two terms when she nearly lost reelection in 2022. She is a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, but a rift arose earlier this year when Boebert campaigned alongside outgoing Kentucky U.S. Representative Thomas Massie, whom the president targeted for leading efforts to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files last year.

Two other congressional seats in Colorado previously held by Republicans flipped to Democrats in last week’s election as part of a “blue tsunami” that swept the state and the country. Republican Representative Gabe Evans lost his race to Democrat Manny Rutinel in the 8th District, and Republican Representative Jeff Crank lost his race to Democrat Jessica Killin in the 5th District. With Boebert’s loss, the state’s congressional delegation will favor Democrats 7-1.

Thursday was the deadline for overseas and military voters to submit their ballots and for voters with signature discrepancies to cure their ballots. County clerks have until the end of the day Friday to submit vote counts.