Following the abrupt retirement of longtime Rep. Ken Buck in March, the race to elect the next representative of Colorado’s 4th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives is in its final stretch. Currently represented in the interim by Republican Greg Lopez after a June special election, House District 4 encompasses the majority of Colorado’s eastern territory, second in size only to the sprawling District 3.

Although Fort Collins is situated in Congressional District 2, nearby Loveland, Windsor and Wellington are all encompassed by District 4, bringing one of the more contentious nationwide races to the doorstep of the Colorado State University and Fort Collins communities.

Lauren Boebert

Currently serving her second term as Congressional District 3’s representative, Republican candidate Lauren Boebert withdrew her reelection campaign and refiled to enter the District 4 conversation after early polling numbers indicated a close District 3 race. 

A staunch supporter of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Boebert has previously worked as a natural gas product technician and owned Shooters Grill, Colorado. Sitting on the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Boebert has voted yea on legislation related to lowering energy costs, “denouncing the horrors of socialism” and loosening COVID-19 vaccination requirements, according to Ballotpedia.

Boebert’s campaign priorities and goals for office include securing the southern border with Mexico, protecting Second Amendment rights, defunding Planned Parenthood and counteracting other democratic-led policies.

“I was elected to office because the American people are tired of the D.C. way,” Boebert said in a statement available on her website. “I brought my work boots because I am here to drain the swamp. I am working to rein in the federal bureaucracy by cutting unnecessary programs, holding the Biden administration accountable and defending liberty from encroaching federal programs.”

Trisha Calvarese

Seeking to defeat Boebert is Democratic candidate Trisha Calvarese. Having grown up in Highlands Ranch, Calvarese said believes her local Colorado roots set her apart from Boebert, whose current district encompasses the western and southern portions of the state.

After earning a full scholarship to Johns Hopkins University, Calvarese worked in Washington D.C. for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations to implement legislation addressing infrastructure and American energy. She also worked in the U.S. National Science Foundation under a Trump nominee to bolster American manufacturing. Calvarese returned to Highlands Ranch after her parents received terminal illness diagnoses, leading her to make expanding Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security a top priority of her campaign.

In addition to protecting government health care programs, Calvarese also supports reproductive rights and says she will adamantly oppose any piece of legislation or elected official that restricts a woman’s ability to obtain an abortion.

“I’m running because I care about my neighbors,” Calvarese said. “I understand the challenges they are facing. I have a mortgage here, so I absolutely get it. People are really concerned about costs, especially in terms of food but also in terms of medicine.”

Frank Atwood

Running with the support of the Approval Voting Party, Purple Heart recipient Frank Atwood is seeking to disrupt the traditional two-party race in District 4. The party’s proposed voting system would allow voters to choose multiple candidates on the same ticket as their first choice, differing from ranked choice voting’s system of vote distribution. 

Atwood previously ran for the U.S. Senate in 2022, ultimately falling short to incumbent candidate Michael Bennet. Since then, Atwood’s platform has remained largely unchanged, with his core platform echoing his party’s intent to disrupt the two-party system and bring new perspectives to Washington D.C. 

“For major parties, approval voting means there will be fewer spoilers and less sabotage,” Atwood said in a statement on the Approval Voting Party website. “For alternative parties, approval voting provides more viability and visibility. For voters, fewer dilemmas when torn between two good choices.”

Hannah Goodman

Running under the banner of the Libertarian Party, Hannah Goodman is also seeking to disrupt the District 4 race, and, more broadly, American ideals of governance and economics. In accordance with her Libertarian affiliation, Goodman advocates for the privatization of the American economy and denounces the U.S. military’s involvement in foreign conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine War and the Israel-Hamas war.

A former educator and current chairwoman of the Libertarian Party of Colorado, Goodman regards her rural Colorado heritage as an important factor in the race, contending that her more urban counterparts will be unable to address the needs of rural Coloradans, especially in relation to water and energy.

“We advocate for minimizing government intervention, championing free-market policies and ensuring property rights to fuel entrepreneurship and innovation,” Goodman said in a statement on her website. “Our vision is to create an environment where rural businesses thrive, driven by individual initiative and unhampered by restrictive regulations.”

Paul Fiorino

With support from the Unity Party, Paul Fiorino is running in District 4 to spark conversations. A former Republican Party chairman and ballet club organizer within CSU’s University Center for the Arts, Fiorino says he defies the typical mold of a politician. 

While many of Fiorino’s policy stances and proposed initiatives are unavailable to the public, he expressed interest in bridging partisan divides and reducing the national deficit by limiting congressional endowment funding. Another priority for Fiorino is energy policy, advocating for a total shift away from nonrenewable energy sources.

“First and foremost, this race is about Colorado leaning forward and leaning into our transformation from fossil to flow,” Fiorino said. 

The Colorado Congressional District 4 race will be decided Nov. 5.

Reach Sam Hutton at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @Sam_Hut14.