Wondering who Lauren Boebert might face? These candidates are vying for the 4th District

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, announced her move to Colorado's 4th Congressional District and will now face multiple candidates in the upcoming 2024 primary election.

Boebert stated that her move from the 3rd District was purely strategic to allow for a stronger conservative representation in the U.S. House. Boebert is currently among 11 Republican candidates for the June 25, 2024, primary election. There are currently five Democratic candidates vying for their party's nomination, and one unaffiliated and one Libertarian candidate have also filed paperwork to run.

What is a congressional district?

Congressional districts are the areas from which members are elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. The districts and number of seats up for election are based on census population counts. Each congressional district is to be as equal in population to all other congressional districts in a state as practical.

The 4th District makes up a large part of Colorado's plains and farming communities, including Weld, Douglas, Adams, Arapahoe and Elbert counties, among others.

Here is a deeper look into each candidate up for election in the 4th District:

4th District Democratic candidates

Karen Breslin

Breslin has lived in Colorado since 1978 in 4th District's Douglas and Elbert counties. Her background includes work as a journalist, professor and lawyer. Major campaign promises for Breslin include protecting Eastern Colorado's land, air and water rights. She also wants to fight inflation and unfair tax policies to help strengthen the rural communities within the district.

Ike McCorkle

McCorkle is a retired Marine Corps officer whose platform is that food safety is part of national security. McCorkle's campaign promises revolve around protecting Colorado family farmers against agribusiness monopolies and cleaner farming practices by supporting the Federal Rights to Repair Bill, the Federal Fertilizer and Equipment Subsidies Assistance Program, and the Family Farm and Rancher’s Legacy Protection Act.

On Jan. 2, McCorkle was arrested for violating a protection order. The Coloradoan requested information on the circumstances of the protection order, including who filed it, but information was not released due to the ongoing nature of the case.

McCorkle did not respond to the Coloradoan's request for a statement on his arrest.

John Padora

Padora's professional experience includes a degree in environmental science, work as a manufacturing engineer and experience as an addiction-recovery advocate. Padora's platform is to help rebuild trust within the rural communities and to draft and vote for policies that help do so. His campaign promises include advocating for lower taxes for working families, overhauling for-profit health care and climate change mitigation through major investments in green energy.

Trisha Calvarese

Calvarese started off her political career as a press intern for Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont. She also worked as a speech writer for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations and, most recently, as a writer for the National Science Foundation. One of Calvarese's largest beliefs surrounding her campaign is that she would like to be a part of the change to allow Coloradans to have the health coverage that allows them to care of their loved ones during end-of-life care. If elected, she also wants to focus on the future and emerging technologies, creating an economic stability that expands larger pathways for the middle class, protecting Colorado's natural resources and supporting Colorado's agricultural enterprises.

Anil Saxena

Saxena filed paperwork to run for the seat as a Democrat, although he does not have a campaign website, social media page or any public political agendas for his campaign as of Tuesday afternoon.

4th District Republican candidates

Mariel Bailey

Bailey started her professional career as a small business owner for a hair salon in Douglas County and more recently worked as a confidential assistant under former President Donald Trump's administration. Bailey's platform beliefs include limited federal government and energy independence across a free market economy.

Lauren Boebert

Boebert served two terms representing the 3rd Congressional District. Her focus on this campaign includes decreasing inflation, increasing veteran services, funding police, increasing border security, urging parent-controlled curriculums in schools, supporting gun ownership, supporting natural and renewable resources, fixing infrastructure, supporting bills that are anti-abortion and increasing water storage abilities in rural communities.

Deborah Flora

Flora's claim to fame was as a radio host of The Deborah Flora Show for the 710 KNUS radio station. Flora's campaign promises include advocating for a limited government, anti-abortion measures, Second Amendment measures, supporting Colorado's production of oil and natural gas, opposing the Green New Deal, supporting governmental budget transparency, advocating for increased border security and supporting small businesses starting out.

Richard Holtorf

Richard Holtorf is a former U.S. Army colonel, a rancher and current Colorado District 63 representative. His political agenda regards increasing border control, protecting water rights and advocating for Colorado farmers.

Trent Leisy

Fort Collins native Trent Leisy previously served in the U.S. Navy and currently owns Windsor-based agriculture company Northern Colorado Seeds. Leisy also previously ran for a seat on the Weld RE-4 school board, although he was not elected. His campaign promises include securing border control, ending child trafficking and encouraging parental input in education.

Justin Schreiber

Schreiber previously served in the U.S. Army. He told the Coloradoan that if elected, he pledges to "defund and dismantle the FBI, ATF, IRS and the Brady bill" and that he planned to donate his salary to some kind of charity or good cause.

Schreiber is facing multiple charges including stalking and attempting to influence a public servant, both felonies. His ability to run for a political office is undetermined until those court cases work their way through the judicial process.

"As far as my charges are concerned, I'm not worried about them one bit," Schreiber said.

The Coloradoan has requested arrest documents and additional information from law enforcement.

Jerry Sonnenberg

Sonnenberg has previously worked as a cattle rancher, served on the Colorado Farm Bureau Board of Directors, was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives and was elected to the Colorado State Senate, where he served as chairman of the Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Energy Committee and vice chair of the Military and Veterans Affairs. Sonnenberg's objectives if he is elected are to combat inflation, increase border protection, increase oil and gas production in the state, protect TABOR funds, end Colorado's current abortion rights, ensure Second Amendment rights and parental control in schools.

Ted Harvey

Harvey has experience serving in the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican. In 2001, he was elected to represent the 43rd House District. He was also elected in 2006 to the Colorado Senate as a representative of Senate District 30. Harvey's political goals include creating pro-life legislation, defending gun ownership rights, combating illegal immigration, increasing parental choices over education, and preserving the rights of landowners and the free market development of Colorado’s natural resources.

Christopher David Phelen

Phelen is a Castle Rock resident, former congressional chief of staff and businessman. His political beliefs include maintaining Christian principles within government. His goals if elected are to halt inflation and lower taxes, work to secure the border, work to end illegal fentanyl trades, ensure gun rights, balance the state budget, cut programs, move toward a sustainable energy policy, increase protection of open space and waterways, ensure funding to police and military, open additional veteran services and create education reform.

Mike Lynch

Lynch currently represents District 65 in the Colorado House of Representatives. Lynch has a strong belief in limited government by promoting federalism, reducing regulations and engaging citizens. If elected, Lynch wants to secure the border, work to end the drug trade of fentanyl, end excess spending in order to lower taxes, improve veteran care, maintain support for the Second Amendment, vie for parental control in schools and encourage the production of renewable and nonrenewable energy.

In 2022, Lynch was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and possessing a firearm while intoxicated, according to previously unreported law enforcement records. He was later charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving while ability impaired. Lynch was sentenced to 18 months of probation and monitored sobriety and ordered to complete a handgun safety course.

On Jan. 24, Lynch announced his decision to step down as minority leader of the state House, just days after his record came to light.

Floyd Trujillo

Trujillo states on his website that his family has been in the 4th Congressional District area of Colorado since the 1830s. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and boasts a 40-year career in the oil and gas industry. If elected, Trujillo states that he will focus on border security, restoring energy independence with oil and gas, and work toward a balanced budget in Congress.

4th District Libertarian party candidates

Douglas Mangeris

Mangeris is a Loveland resident. He filed paperwork to run for the seat as a Libertarian, although he does not have a campaign website, social media page or any public political agendas for his campaign as of now.

4th District Unaffiliated party candidates

Mark Elworth Jr.

Elworth filed paperwork to run as an unaffiliated candidate for Colorado's 4th District, although he does not have a campaign website or any public political agendas for his campaign as of now.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Here are the candidates for Colorado's 4th Congressional District