Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert and Democrat Eileen Laubacher appeared in a televised debate hosted by 9News on October 12, 2026. During the debate, Laubacher stated that if her party regains control of Congress during the upcoming midterm elections, it should not use that power to impeach President Donald Trump. “I do not want us to waste two more years trying to impeach the president. I do not think that that is a good use of our time,” she said. Laubacher added, “I think it is important for people to be held responsible for the things that they do that are unlawful and unethical, and I hope that happens,” but emphasized the need for a more effective Congress.
Her comments were in response to a question from moderator Kyle Clark of 9News about what Democrats should do, if anything, amid potential calls to investigate Trump and his administration during the next Congress. The debate was the only scheduled televised meeting between Laubacher and Boebert ahead of the Nov. 3 election, and thousands of voters in the district already have their mail-ballots.
Boebert is running for her second term in the district and her fourth term as a representative from Colorado. She previously served two terms in the 3rd Congressional District, representing the Western Slope, but moved across the state to her current district, which includes Douglas County and the Eastern Plains, following a near-defeat by her Democratic challenger in 2022. Boebert won the solidly-red seat in 2024 with 53.6% of the vote, but the congressional campaign arm of the Democratic Party is targeting the district this year as a possible flip.
Monday’s televised debate between two Colorado candidates for Congress was a relative rarity this election season. In the battleground 8th District, incumbent GOP U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans and his Democratic challenger, state Rep. Manny Rutinel, did not agree to any televised debates, and met for their only scheduled face-to-face event in Berthoud last week. The race in the 3rd District is likewise set to have only a single, untelevised meeting between Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd and Aspen business owner Dwayne Romero – the two candidates shared a stage for 30 minutes at a Club 20 event last month – after Hurd declined an invitation to a televised debate.
Boebert touted some of her recent congressional accomplishments, such as securing funding for the Arkansas Valley Conduit through the House version of the Water Resources Development Act and advocating for disaster relief for sugar beet farmers. She said that since arriving to Washington, D.C. five years ago, she has worked on an approach to “disagree better,” and acknowledged that she is often one of the most outspoken members of Congress.
Laubacher is a first-time candidate and 34-year Navy veteran who retired as a rear admiral in 2024. She then served as senior director for South Asia at the National Security Council under former President Joe Biden. She is also a recent arrival to the district after moving there two years ago.
House Democrats want to win every Colorado congressional seat this year
