海角大神

A district spanning 27 counties defies generalizations.听In the past week, Colorado鈥檚 3rd Congressional District has demonstrated that.

As of Wednesday听afternoon, Trump-backed incumbent Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert had edged about 1,100 votes ahead of Democratic challenger Adam Frisch, a far cry from national forecasts for a shoo-in second term. Today is the deadline for Colorado clerks to receive military and overseas ballots, as well as ballots that needed 鈥渃uring鈥� over signature issues. It remains unclear when the count will conclude 鈥� and whether a recount (state-ordered or otherwise requested by a campaign) awaits.听

Amid the uncertainty since Nov. 8, interviews with voters make at least one thing clear: The race has united CO-3 in a waiting game.

鈥淓very day I check the tally,鈥� says Frisch voter Laura Van Deusen, a middle school math teacher in Rifle who鈥檚 concerned about women鈥檚 rights and the environment.听

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 sound like she wants to listen to the other side,鈥� she says, whereas Mr. Frisch 鈥渞eally talked about working on both sides of the aisle.鈥�

Boebert voter Gene Trujillo, on the other hand, has resisted constant checking of the count, he says, as it听鈥�kind of weighs heavy on the heart sometimes.鈥� The retired railroad worker in Walsenburg sees a strong Second Amendment supporter and 鈥減ro-life鈥� advocate in his congresswoman. 鈥淪he comes across as knowing what鈥檚 right and wrong, and that pleases me.鈥�

During her first term in Congress, far-right Representative Boebert has been noted nationally for her loyalty to former President Donald Trump, defense of gun rights, and upending of establishment norms 鈥撎齣ncluding remarks this summer about being 鈥渢ired of this separation of church and state junk.鈥� Mr. Frisch, a businessman and former city council member in the luxury mountain town of Aspen, has campaigned as a moderate, downplaying his Democratic status.听

Some CO-3 voters see the race as a residual referendum on the last president (who just announced his听bid听for 2024).

鈥淪he鈥檚 a loudmouth like Trump,鈥� says Republican Doug Wight, a resident of New Castle on the Western Slope, on his support for Ms. Boebert. 鈥淥nce they get to Washington, they don鈥檛 do anything anyway 鈥� she鈥檚 just fun to watch.鈥�

He鈥檚 in Silt at his shop, Gold Ring Pawn. A red Trump shirt hangs among liberal-bashing signs and racks of rifles and shotguns. The economy and gun control, which he opposes, are top issues for Mr. Wight, who rests his elbow on a听Gadsden flag mouse pad.

The tight race is 鈥渃oncerning,鈥� says Mr. Wight, who doubts President Joe Biden was legally elected. But in the end he throws up his hands: 鈥淲hatever happens, happens.鈥�

In the southern city of Pueblo, Lynette Baca, who relies on disability benefits, has felt the crunch of inflation. But that wasn鈥檛 enough to sway the Democrat鈥檚 vote. Ms. Baca says she chose Mr. Frisch, whose sign sits on her lawn, 鈥�because I don鈥檛 believe in what Lauren stands for.鈥� For one, Ms. Baca, a Roman Catholic, is, herself, against abortion, but she respects other women鈥檚 right to choose 鈥� a compromise in contrast to the congresswoman鈥檚 hard-line stance.

Another red flag: 鈥淚鈥檓 so against Trump,鈥� says Ms. Baca. She cradles a friend鈥檚 baby on the couch, her darkened living room aglow with a Minions movie.听

CO-3 is a three-quarters white, largely rural region, with population centers like Grand Junction in the west and Pueblo to the south. It embraces farmers and ranchers facing drought-wracked fields, upscale skiing in the high country, and university enclaves.

Ms. Boebert won her primary by 32 points in June over Republican state Sen. Don Coram, who went on to endorse Mr. Frisch. The November election 鈥渟hould have been a fairly easy win for Lauren Boebert, but it certainly did not develop that way,鈥� says Justin Gollob, professor of political science at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. Not only was she an incumbent, but being a member of the party opposing the president (especially one faulted for inflation) also seemed to sweeten the deal ahead of Election Day.

Colorado 鈥渙ften has been thought of in the not-so-distant past as a purple state,鈥� says Professor Gollob. But given recent electoral trends, he adds, 鈥渋t鈥檚 hard to come to a conclusion other than this is a state that鈥檚 trending blue with deep-red regional pockets.鈥�

Democrats here control seats for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and the state legislature 鈥� a monopoly that survived the midterms. But the last time a Democrat won the CO-3 seat was in 2008.

As the sun sets on Grand Junction, the race is marinating in the minds of grocery shoppers outside a City Market.听

As she loads bags into a car, Republican voter Lori Chandler says she wasn鈥檛 too surprised by the close count 鈥撎齛nd not just because of the state鈥檚 leftward trend.听

鈥淗alf my friends are conservative, and about probably half of them are liberal,鈥� says Ms. Chandler. She credits her ability to get along with both sides to her being a teacher.听

Across the parking lot, unaffiliated voter Danielle Garcia hopes for听a Frisch win.听

And yet, 鈥渨hatever the people vote for is what we need to go with,鈥� says the nurse. That鈥檚 why she votes 鈥� so that 鈥渕y voice is heard.鈥�