03/25/2026
Local politics.
š§š¼šæš¶ šš®š»š®šµš¹ š®ššøš š¼š» Rocky Mountain Voice: How does a first-time candidate like Eileen Laubacher build a campaign of this scale so quickly?
In Douglas County, where unaffiliated voters make up a major share of the electorate, that question matters.
My Opinion: I think the answer is simple. Sheās the likely opponent to take on Congresswoman Lauren Boebert and sheās making smart, calculated moves for this district.
Colorado Republicans are now pretty well known for infighting and going after their own moderatesāso much so that thereās even a website dedicated to it, RINO Watch Colorado š¦. As a retired Navy Rear Admiral, Laubacher flipped her voter registration, has avoided getting pulled into culture war fights, and started building connections early with volunteers across CD-4 whoāve helped elect more moderate, pragmatic candidatesāincluding former Republicans who are now registered Democrats.
Here in Douglas County, sheās been especially strategic. She connected with one of State House Representative Bob Marshallās biggest Democratic alliesāsomeone whoās also one of the most active volunteers in the Douglas County Democratic Party. A local, like myself, who also signed local Republican former County Commissioner Lora Thomasās petition to get on the Home Rule ballotāan effort aimed at holding our current Board of County Commissioners more accountable, something a lot of voters here clearly care about. That kind of overlap matters, and it shows the type of coalition sheās building.
And in a county where unaffiliated voters now decide elections, that kind of coalition-building isnāt optionalāitās required.
Now, are there Democrats upset that Laubacher seems like a Democrat in Name Only? Absolutely. But recent delegate results are telling a different story. Thereās a sizable group of Democrats in CD-4 who donāt seem too concerned about labelsāthey just want someone they can actually support, someone they can live with representing them in Congress, and most importantly, someone who can win.
Because letās be honest: a candidate focused primarily on national political fights is only going to appeal to a small slice of voters here, especially in Douglas County's current political climate.
And Iām hearing it directlyāmoderate Republicans who donāt like Boebert are starting to pay attention. They feel like they can relate to Laubacher. She comes across as measured and practical. In DougCo, voters donāt need perfect agreementāthey want someone who sounds reasonable and understands how people here actually live. Thatās going to matter here, even if the rural parts of CD-4 may be a tougher sell.
The numbers back that up. As reported by Colorado Times Recorderās Suzie Glassman, Boebert won CD-4 by double digits in 2024ābut her margin in Douglas County was just 0.57%. That tells me her support here is a much smaller margin and more limited than it looks at first glance.
Weāve seen how this plays out locally. When Rep. Bob Marshallāhimself a former Republican who switched his registration to Democrat shortly before running for State Houseāwas first elected, there were plenty of vocal Democrats who opposed him, especially on issues like gun rights. But over time, he built relationships and was able to bring even some of the more progressive voices along by taking the time to explain his positions, including multiple solo townhalls. Still the most conservative Dem in the House. These voters may not agree with him on everything, but they trust him to represent his constituents.
That same dynamic could be at play here. Whether intentionally or not, fellow veteran Marshall may have helped pave the way for someone like Laubacher to gain broader Democratic support in Douglas County. And given her military background, Iād assume sheās making similarly disciplined campaign moves in other parts of CD-4.
Are there still Democrats frustrated with the Calvarese vs. Democratic Party situation thatās been partly covered by Rocky Mountain Voice? Yes. But this is CD-4ānot Boulder. Most people here understand the kind of candidate it takes to actually compete.
By November, I think a lot of those voters will come around, especially if they believe she has a real shot at flipping the seatāeven if that means backing a potential DINO. š¦
Building a bigger table.
If the Ganahls are worried that Laubacher could be real competition for Boebert, they should be.
Game on.
Bob4Colorado & Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher
DougCo Dems Assembly
Photo by Elaine Flournoy, shared with permission
