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Will Lauren Boebert’s opposition to Kevin McCarthy help or hurt her politically?

Thirteen times in a row, Boebert has voted against McCarthy and she shows no sign of acquiescing

Conrad Swanson
The Denver Post
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., walks to the House chamber Thursday, Jan. 5, as the House meets for the third day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington.
ose Luis Magana/AP

No matter what concessions fellow Republicans threw her way, no matter how much pressure she faced in or out of Congress, Colorado’s U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert held fast in her opposition to U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid for Speaker of the House.

The slim Republican majority in the House is already working in Boebert’s favor, offering her and a few other far-right members leverage over hundreds of their colleagues. And political experts say it’s not yet clear whether she’ll face any consequences for her dissension. GOP leaders, they say, might not be able to afford to alienate the Western Slope congresswoman further.

If House members eventually elect McCarthy as speaker “he obviously has a very thin majority,” Seth Masket, a political scientist with the University of Denver, said, “and can’t really afford to alienate much of his caucus.”



At the same time, however, Boebert narrowly won reelection in November and holding out against McCarthy now likely means “she really can’t expect a lot of help from him in the next election cycle,” Masket said.

As of Friday afternoon the House remained deadlocked and Boebert — who did not respond to a request for comment — showed no sign of changing her position.

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