DENVER — Democrat Adam Frisch conceded the election to Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, saying the state’s automatic recount is unlikely to change the outcome in a race separated by fewer than 600 votes.
“I just got off the phone with Representative Boebert,” Mr. Frisch said in a Friday video post on Facebook. “I called her to formally concede this election. Please know that in the coming weeks, I will pause to reflect on this race, how I can continue to work for the people of western and southern Colorado and of this great nation.”
His decision to concede came hours after the first-term congresswoman declared victory, citing figures released Thursday by the Colorado secretary of state’s office that showed her ahead by 551 votes.
“We’re about 550 votes ahead right now, and just a county or two left to report,” said Ms. Boebert in a Friday interview on KDVR, a Denver TV station. “And you’re absolutely right: This is a very close race here in Colorado, and when that happens, we’re heading into an automatic recount, but that isn’t going to affect the outcome.”
She said the “last recount in Colorado was for a statewide office, and it changed the vote by only 13 votes. And again, that’s statewide.”
The secretary of state’s office was expected to declare a recount after the final tally Friday afternoon. Colorado election law requires a recount in races separated by less than 0.5% of the vote.
Mr. Frisch, a former Aspen councilman, mounted a stronger-than-expected challenge in the heavily Republican rural 3rd Congressional District, which encompasses most of the state’s western and southern counties.
He stressed he has not requested a recount and discouraged his supporters from sending checks to any group raising money on behalf of the recount.
“We believe in the integrity of the elections in our great state of Colorado and are supportive of this recount to ensure continued faith in the security of our elections,” Mr. Frisch said. “However, the likelihood of this recount changing more than a handful of votes is very small, very, very small.”
He added it “would be disingenuous and unethical for us or any other group, any other group, to continue to raise false hope and encourage fundraising for a recount.”
Mr. Frisch ran as a moderate and criticized the fiery Boebert for what he called her “angertainment” approach to politics.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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