Boebert campaign says it is investigating 'very unusual voting patterns' as Laubacher leads Colorado's 4th District count

Rep. Lauren Boebert's campaign says it is investigating 'very unusual voting patterns' and expects a recount as Democrat Eileen Laubacher leads Colorado's 4th District count. The statement names no county or data, and Laubacher's lead remains above the automatic recount margin.

Case period:

Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated

Overview

In a November 5 statement, Rep. Lauren Boebert's campaign attorney, Scott Gessler, said the campaign is investigating 'some very unusual voting patterns' and expects the 4th District race to go to a recount, as Democrat Eileen Laubacher leads the count. The statement does not say what the patterns are.

Read the full background

Boebert, a Republican first elected to Congress in 2020, moved to Colorado's 4th Congressional District after winning reelection in the 3rd District in 2022 by fewer than 600 votes. In the November 3, 2026 general election she faced Democrat Eileen Laubacher, a retired Navy rear admiral and former National Security Council official. Laubacher led on election night, and her lead narrowed as Election Day ballots were added to the count.

On November 5, the Lauren Boebert for Congress campaign released a statement from its attorney, Scott Gessler, a former Republican Colorado secretary of state. It said ballot returns had been trending in Boebert's direction since election night, that the campaign was "investigating some very unusual voting patterns" and that it expected the election "to head to a recount, one way or another." The statement did not say what the patterns were, and Gessler did not immediately answer a Colorado Politics question asking which patterns he meant.

Under Colorado law, a recount is automatic when the margin between the top two candidates is 0.5 percent or less of the leading candidate's vote total. Outside that margin, a candidate may request a recount and pay for it. A Boebert fundraising email sent the same day said the race goes to an automatic recount if the margin is 0.5 percent or lower, which the Denver Gazette reported mischaracterized the law. As of 6 p.m. on November 6, Laubacher led by 3,172 votes, or 0.83 percentage points, and the Associated Press had not called the race.

Counties must finish their initial tabulation by November 13 and complete the official canvass by November 25, which is also the deadline to request a candidate-funded recount. FOX31 reported that Laubacher's campaign had not responded to its request for comment. As of November 7, we could not locate a public response to the campaign's claim from Laubacher's campaign, the Colorado Secretary of State's office or the county clerks in the district.

People in this case

Timeline

5 timeline entries on this page. Dates: November 3, 2026 to November 6, 2026

  1. November 2026

    1. Laubacher leads Boebert on election night

      At midnight on election night, Laubacher led by 1.56 percent, or 5,045 votes, according to 9NEWS anchor Kyle Clark. Her lead narrowed as Election Day ballots were added to the count.

      [01]Kyle Clark

      Kyle Clark compares Laubacher's lead at midnight on election night, the closest margin since then on November 5, and the margin on the afternoon of November 6, and responds to the Boebert campaign's claim that the race is closing.

      Laubacher was up 1.56%/5045 votes at midnight Election Night · Kyle ClarkFull post, a reply to Clark's own post on the November 6 count
      [02]Trailing Laubacher, Boebert campaign alleges 'unusual voting patterns'

      The Denver Gazette reports Gessler's statement, that he did not say which voting patterns he meant, and the vote count as of 6 p.m. on November 6. It reports that a Boebert fundraising email sent the same day mischaracterized the state law on automatic recounts, and explains the threshold.

      Trailing Laubacher, Boebert campaign alleges 'unusual voting patterns'Full article, updated with results as of 6 p.m. Friday, November 6
    2. Weld County clerk says the county is done counting 4th District ballots

      Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes, a Republican, tells 9NEWS that the county has finished counting 4th District votes apart from cured ballots and ballots forwarded from other counties, with far fewer votes than expected because of a significant undervote.

      [03]Kyle Clark

      Kyle Clark reports that Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes told him the county was done counting 4th District votes apart from cured ballots and ballots coming from other counties, and that there were far fewer 4th District votes than expected because of a significant undervote.

      [04]Raw Story

      Raw Story reports that Weld County finished counting its 4th District ballots apart from cures and forwarded ballots, quotes Boebert's November 4 interview with 9NEWS, and cites figures that David B. Wheeler of American Muckrakers says the Weld County clerk gave him.

    3. Boebert campaign says it is investigating 'very unusual voting patterns'

      Claim

      A statement from campaign attorney Scott Gessler says ballot returns have been trending toward Boebert since election night and that the campaign expects the race to go to a recount. It does not say what the patterns are.

      [05]Boebert campaign expects recount as Colorado's 4th Congressional District race remains undecided

      FOX31 prints the full statement from Scott Gessler, attorney for the Lauren Boebert for Congress campaign, and reports that it did not specify which voting patterns the campaign was investigating. The article explains Colorado's recount rules and the county deadlines for tabulation and canvass, and reports that Laubacher's campaign had not responded to a request for comment.

      [06]Kyle Clark

      The 9NEWS anchor posts an image of the Lauren Boebert for Congress campaign's release dated November 5, 2026, in which campaign attorney Scott Gessler says the campaign is investigating some very unusual voting patterns and expects a recount. The post reports that Laubacher's 2.2 percent lead had dropped to 0.65 percent by midday and was then 0.77 percent.

      NEW: GOP Rep Lauren Boebert's campaign says it is 'investigating some very unusual voting patterns' · Kyle ClarkPost text and the attached image of the campaign's release dated November 5, 2026
      [07]Newsweek

      Newsweek quotes the full statement from Boebert's campaign attorney, reports that he did not specify the patterns, and explains that a candidate may request and pay for a recount outside the automatic margin under Colorado law.

    4. Boebert fundraising email describes the automatic recount rule

      Claim

      The email, signed by Boebert, says the race goes into an automatic recount if the margin is 0.5 percent or lower. The Denver Gazette reports that this mischaracterizes the state law, which measures the margin against the leading candidate's vote total.

      [02]Trailing Laubacher, Boebert campaign alleges 'unusual voting patterns'

      The Denver Gazette reports Gessler's statement, that he did not say which voting patterns he meant, and the vote count as of 6 p.m. on November 6. It reports that a Boebert fundraising email sent the same day mischaracterized the state law on automatic recounts, and explains the threshold.

      Trailing Laubacher, Boebert campaign alleges 'unusual voting patterns'Full article, updated with results as of 6 p.m. Friday, November 6
    5. Laubacher's lead grows to 3,338 votes as Larimer and Arapahoe ballots are counted

      Kyle Clark reports that Boebert trails by 3,338 votes, or 0.88 percent, after a batch of ballots from Larimer and Arapahoe counties. The Associated Press had not called the race as of that evening.

      [08]Kyle Clark

      Kyle Clark reports that Laubacher gained 269 votes from 1,484 ballots counted in Larimer and Arapahoe counties on November 6 and that Boebert trailed by 3,338 votes, or 0.88 percent, which he says is 3.5 times the recount margin.

      [02]Trailing Laubacher, Boebert campaign alleges 'unusual voting patterns'

      The Denver Gazette reports Gessler's statement, that he did not say which voting patterns he meant, and the vote count as of 6 p.m. on November 6. It reports that a Boebert fundraising email sent the same day mischaracterized the state law on automatic recounts, and explains the threshold.

      Trailing Laubacher, Boebert campaign alleges 'unusual voting patterns'Full article, updated with results as of 6 p.m. Friday, November 6

Claims

Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.

What's disputed

Disputed claim

Scott Gessler

The Boebert campaign is investigating 'some very unusual voting patterns' in the 4th District count, ballot returns since election night have been trending in Boebert's direction, and the campaign expects the race to go to a recount.

What is disputed

The statement does not say what the patterns are or where they were seen. Kyle Clark of 9NEWS reported that Laubacher's lead fell from 2.2 percent to 0.65 percent by midday on November 5 and stood at 0.77 percent that evening. By the afternoon of November 6 it was 0.88 percent, or 3,338 votes, which he said was 3.5 times the recount margin.

Sources (4)

Disputed claim

Lauren Boebert

Boebert's November 5 fundraising email says the race goes into an automatic recount if the margin is 0.5 percent or lower.

What is disputed

Under Colorado law, an automatic recount is triggered when the margin between the top two candidates is 0.5 percent or less of the leading candidate's vote total, and a candidate may request and pay for a recount outside that margin. The Denver Gazette reported that the email mischaracterized the law and that neither Gessler nor a campaign spokesman responded to its question about it. As of the morning of November 6, the margin would have had to be 923 votes or fewer to trigger an automatic recount.

Sources (2)

Response record

Responses

Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.

3 responses. Newest first.

  1. Kyle Clark9NEWS anchor, on his X account

    Before this statement

    Minutes earlier, Clark reported that Laubacher had netted 269 votes from a batch of 1,484 ballots from Larimer and Arapahoe counties, and that Boebert trailed by 3,338 votes, or 0.88 percent, 3.5 times the recount margin. His reply begins by noting that Laubacher was up 1.56 percent, or 5,045 votes, at midnight on election night, and that the closest margin since then was 0.65 percent, or 2,376 votes, at midday Thursday.

    "Margin now 0.88%/3338, despite Boebert campaign's claim that they're closing"
    Challenged the characterization

    Responding to: The Boebert campaign is investigating 'some very unusual voting patterns' in the 4th District count, ballot returns since election night have been trending in Boebert's direction, and the campaign expects the race to go to a recount.

    Full statement and sources

    The 9NEWS anchor says Laubacher led by 1.56 percent at midnight on election night, that the closest margin since was 0.65 percent at midday on November 5, and that her lead is now 0.88 percent, or 3,338 votes, despite the Boebert campaign's claim that it is closing the gap.

    After the statement

    On the evening of November 5, Clark had posted the campaign's statement, reporting then that Laubacher's 2.2 percent lead had dropped to 0.65 percent by midday and was back up to 0.77 percent.

    Laubacher was up 1.56%/5045 votes at midnight Election Night · Kyle ClarkFull post, a reply to Clark's own post on the November 6 count
    NEW: GOP Rep Lauren Boebert's campaign says it is 'investigating some very unusual voting patterns' · Kyle ClarkPost text and the attached image of the campaign's release dated November 5, 2026

    Why this label?

    The reference point is the Boebert campaign's claim, in a November 5 statement from its attorney Scott Gessler, that it is investigating 'some very unusual voting patterns' in the 4th District count and expects a recount. Clark disputes the campaign's description of the count as trending toward Boebert, setting out how the margin has moved since election night.

    This label describes the statement's response within the context above.

  2. Jon CooperDemocratic strategist and former Suffolk County Legislature majority leader, on his X account

    Before this statement

    Cooper's post opens by saying that Boebert is crying foul.

    "Eileen Laubacher leads by 3,000+ votes, but Boebert hired a Trump lawyer and is alleging "unusual voting patterns" with NO evidence."
    Condemned

    Responding to: The Boebert campaign is investigating 'some very unusual voting patterns' in the 4th District count, ballot returns since election night have been trending in Boebert's direction, and the campaign expects the race to go to a recount.

    Full statement and sources

    Cooper says Boebert is crying foul, that Laubacher leads by more than 3,000 votes, and that Boebert hired a Trump lawyer and is alleging unusual voting patterns with no evidence. He calls for her defeat and asks readers to donate.

    After the statement

    The post then calls for protecting every vote and defeating Boebert, asks readers to donate and links to a fundraising page.

    Why this label?

    The reference point is the Boebert campaign's claim, in a November 5 statement from its attorney Scott Gessler, that it is investigating 'some very unusual voting patterns' in the 4th District count and expects a recount. Cooper rejects the claim as made with no evidence and calls for Boebert's defeat, which condemns it.

    This label describes the statement's response within the context above.

  3. David B. WheelerPresident of American Muckrakers PAC, writing in the PAC's Substack update on the count

    Before this statement

    The update quotes Gessler's statement that the campaign is "investigating some very unusual voting patterns and expect this election to head to a recount, one way or another."

    "The statement named no county, cited no data, and described no specific irregularity."
    Challenged the characterization

    Responding to: The Boebert campaign is investigating 'some very unusual voting patterns' in the 4th District count, ballot returns since election night have been trending in Boebert's direction, and the campaign expects the race to go to a recount.

    Full statement and sources

    In the American Muckrakers update on the 4th District count, Wheeler says Gessler's statement named no county, cited no data and described no specific irregularity, and projects that Laubacher wins in about 97 percent of outcomes.

    After the statement

    It adds that Gessler did not respond when Colorado Politics asked which patterns he meant, and that no county clerk, the Secretary of State's office or the Laubacher campaign had responded as of Friday morning.

    Why this label?

    The reference point is the Boebert campaign's claim, in a November 5 statement from its attorney Scott Gessler, that it is investigating 'some very unusual voting patterns' in the 4th District count and expects a recount. Wheeler says the statement offers no county, data or irregularity to support the claim of unusual voting patterns, which challenges how the campaign describes the count.

    This label describes the statement's response within the context above.

Sources

(10)

Reporting

Boebert campaign expects recount as Colorado's 4th Congressional District race remains undecided

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Full article, including the campaign's full statement

About this source

FOX31 prints the full statement from Scott Gessler, attorney for the Lauren Boebert for Congress campaign, and reports that it did not specify which voting patterns the campaign was investigating. The article explains Colorado's recount rules and the county deadlines for tabulation and canvass, and reports that Laubacher's campaign had not responded to a request for comment.

Author
Miyoshi Price
Published
Accessed

Reporting

Lauren Boebert 'seems to be done' as vote counting ends in her biggest county: expert

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Full article

About this source

Raw Story reports that Weld County finished counting its 4th District ballots apart from cures and forwarded ballots, quotes Boebert's November 4 interview with 9NEWS, and cites figures that David B. Wheeler of American Muckrakers says the Weld County clerk gave him.

Author
David Edwards
Published
Accessed
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)

Reporting

Lauren Boebert's Team Flags 'Unusual Voting Patterns' As She Trails Rival

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Full article

About this source

Newsweek quotes the full statement from Boebert's campaign attorney, reports that he did not specify the patterns, and explains that a candidate may request and pay for a recount outside the automatic margin under Colorado law.

Author
James Bickerton
Published
Accessed
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)

Reporting

Trailing Laubacher, Boebert campaign alleges 'unusual voting patterns'

Trailing Laubacher, Boebert campaign alleges 'unusual voting patterns' (opens in a new tab)Full article, updated with results as of 6 p.m. Friday, November 6
Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Full article, updated with results as of 6 p.m. Friday, November 6

About this source

The Denver Gazette reports Gessler's statement, that he did not say which voting patterns he meant, and the vote count as of 6 p.m. on November 6. It reports that a Boebert fundraising email sent the same day mischaracterized the state law on automatic recounts, and explains the threshold.

Author
Ernest Luning
Published
Accessed
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)

Original text

CO-4 Update: Laubacher's Lead Grows to 3,069, and Boebert's Lawyer Alleges 'Unusual Voting Patterns'

CO-4 Update: Laubacher's Lead Grows to 3,069, and Boebert's Lawyer Alleges 'Unusual Voting Patterns' (opens in a new tab)Section headed "Boebert's lawyer raises 'unusual voting patterns'" and the projection that follows
Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Section headed "Boebert's lawyer raises 'unusual voting patterns'" and the projection that follows

About this source

An update on the American Muckrakers PAC Substack reports the 4th District count as of midday November 6, quotes Gessler's statement, says it named no county, cited no data and described no specific irregularity, and projects the final margin from the ballots left to count.

Author
American Muckrakers
Published
Accessed

Original post

BREAKING: LAUREN BOEBERT IS CRYING FOUL!

About this source

Jon Cooper says Boebert is alleging unusual voting patterns with no evidence while Laubacher leads by more than 3,000 votes, and asks readers to donate through a linked fundraising page.

Author
Jon Cooper
Published
Accessed

Original post

NEW: GOP Rep Lauren Boebert's path to a comeback win in #CO4 just got very difficult

About this source

Kyle Clark reports that Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes told him the county was done counting 4th District votes apart from cured ballots and ballots coming from other counties, and that there were far fewer 4th District votes than expected because of a significant undervote.

Author
Kyle Clark
Published
Accessed

Original post

Laubacher was up 1.56%/5045 votes at midnight Election Night

Laubacher was up 1.56%/5045 votes at midnight Election Night (opens in a new tab) · Kyle ClarkFull post, a reply to Clark's own post on the November 6 count

About this source

Kyle Clark compares Laubacher's lead at midnight on election night, the closest margin since then on November 5, and the margin on the afternoon of November 6, and responds to the Boebert campaign's claim that the race is closing.

Author
Kyle Clark
Published
Accessed

Original post

NEW: Democrat Eileen Laubacher has netted 269 votes from a batch of 1484 ballots from Larimer and Arapahoe counties today

About this source

Kyle Clark reports that Laubacher gained 269 votes from 1,484 ballots counted in Larimer and Arapahoe counties on November 6 and that Boebert trailed by 3,338 votes, or 0.88 percent, which he says is 3.5 times the recount margin.

Author
Kyle Clark
Published
Accessed

Original post

NEW: GOP Rep Lauren Boebert's campaign says it is 'investigating some very unusual voting patterns'

NEW: GOP Rep Lauren Boebert's campaign says it is 'investigating some very unusual voting patterns' (opens in a new tab) · Kyle ClarkPost text and the attached image of the campaign's release dated November 5, 2026

About this source

The 9NEWS anchor posts an image of the Lauren Boebert for Congress campaign's release dated November 5, 2026, in which campaign attorney Scott Gessler says the campaign is investigating some very unusual voting patterns and expects a recount. The post reports that Laubacher's 2.2 percent lead had dropped to 0.65 percent by midday and was then 0.77 percent.

Author
Kyle Clark
Published
Accessed

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Publisher
The Dispute Index
Title
Boebert campaign says it is investigating 'very unusual voting patterns' as Laubacher leads Colorado's 4th District count
First published
Last updated
Permalink
https://disputeindex.com/cases/boebert-campaign-unusual-voting-patterns-colorado-4th-district

The Dispute Index. "Boebert campaign says it is investigating 'very unusual voting patterns' as Laubacher leads Colorado's 4th District count". First published: 2026-11-07. Last updated: 2026-11-07. https://disputeindex.com/cases/boebert-campaign-unusual-voting-patterns-colorado-4th-district