PHOTO: U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn takes part in a roundtable discussion on fentanyl overdoses at Colorado Springs School District 11 central office in August 2023. (Katherine Beard for Colorado Newsline)
This story by Lindsey Toomer appeared on Colorado Newsline on January 5, 2024
Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn will not seek reelection to a 10th term in Congress.
The Colorado Springs Republican said on a radio show Friday morning that he will retire at the end of 2024, meaning all three congressional seats held by Republicans in Colorado are now without an incumbent contender.
Colorado has a total of eight congressional seats.
U.S. Rep. Ken Buck won’t run to keep his seat in the 4th Congressional District, and U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert said she will move out of the 3rd District, which she currently represents, to run in the 4th District.
Karl Schneider, a Republican who formerly served as vice chair of the El Paso County Republican Party, told Newsline Friday that he started an exploratory committee and is officially considering a run for the 5th Congressional District seat.
“About time,” he said about Lamborn’s retirement in a text.
Colorado Republican Party Chair Dave Williams told Colorado Politics he is also considering a bid in the 5th District. Williams ran against Lamborn in the 2022 GOP primary election and lost.
Democrats celebrated the news of Lamborn’s retirement Friday. Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib said his party hopes to elect “someone who puts El Paso County first.”
“Doug Lamborn was an architect of the MAGA far-right movement we’re seeing breed division in this country, and it’s good for Colorado that he’s retiring,” Murib said in a statement. “Not only was he a disappointment to Colorado Springs and El Paso County, but it’s clear he was a disappointment to the Republican Party as a whole.”
El Paso County Democrats Chair Mischa Smith told Newsline Lamborn’s resignation “marks a pivotal moment” for the El Paso County community. She said Democrats in the community hope to elect leadership that embodies being “responsible and inclusive.”
“The El Paso County Democrats firmly believe that the people of this district deserve a representative who is fully committed to their needs and interests,” Smith said in a text message. “Our focus is on ensuring that our next representative is someone who prioritizes the well-being of our community, actively engages in addressing our concerns, and upholds the values of democracy and integrity.”
Lamborn was first elected to the U.S. House in 2006. The 5th District is centered on Colorado Springs and historically leans Republican.
According to the Federal Elections Commission, the only Republican who has has filed to take Lamborn’s seat as of Friday morning is Cory Parella, but several Democrats and members of other parties are pursuing a bid. Lamborn is still listed as the strongest fundraiser, with only one other candidate — Democrat River Gassen — having raised any substantial funds.