DENVER (KDVR) – Democrat Adam Frisch conceded the Colorado District 3 race to Republican Lauren Boebert during a news conference Friday morning, even though a recount is expected.
“The voters have spoken and while we showed great progress, I remain down by a few hundred votes. This small margin triggers an automatic recount in Colorado’s election system. This recount is what Colorado voters have asked for in order to maintain trust in the election system and it is likely that the Secretary of State will mandate this recount in the coming weeks,” Frisch said.
Frisch specifically explained that he did not request the recount.
“We are not asking for this recount, it is one our citizens of Colorado mandate through our election system. We believe in the integrity of our elections in the great state of Colorado and are supportive of this recount to ensure continued faith in the security of our elections.”
He also noted that the “likelihood of this recount changing more than a handful of votes is very, very small.”
“It would be disingenuous and unethical of us or any other group to continue to raise false hope and encourage fundraising for a recount. Colorado elections are safe, accurate and secure. Please save your money for your groceries, your rent, your children and other important causes and organizations,” Frisch said. “I just got off the phone with Representative Boebert to formally concede this election.”
Nexstar’s KDVR spoke to Boebert on Friday, a day after she declared victory on Twitter:
“We won! I am so thankful for all of your support and I am so proud to be your Representative!” Boebert tweeted on Thursday.
KDVR asked Boebert why she would declare victory when the race is still “so close” and a recount is imminent.
“The last recount in Colorado was for a statewide office and it changed the vote by only 13 votes and again, that’s statewide. The process for a recount is very simple, they’ll run the same ballots and count the same ballots and once every legal vote is counted, I will have won this race,” Boebert said.
A recount is, indeed, unlikely to change the outcome of the election, according KDVR analysis of previous races and a FairVote analysis of statewide and national races from all 50 states between 2010 and 2019.
“First of all, I do just want to say thank you to all of my supporters, my friends and my family, who have entrusted me with their votes once again to send me here, and especially to send me to the majority. Here in the 117th Congress, we are in the minority and we don’t have any power. We don’t have an opportunity to produce results that impact our nation,” Boebert explained.
Boebert said she hopes with a House majority of Republicans they will have the power to get policies passed that they’ve been working on for the past two years. She also explained that representatives on both sides of the aisle have campaigned on similar policies.
“I hope that Democrats govern as they have been campaigning. Many Democrats have campaigned on Republican policies, just like my opponent here in Colorado, who said that he was a conservative. He ran on the same policies that I’ve been working towards, securing the southern border, protecting the second amendment, increasing domestic energy production, reducing inflation and interest rates and crime. And these are the policies in rural Colorado and all across America want to see,” Boebert said.
