ROXBOROUGH PARK, Colo. — Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert and her Democratic challenger Trisha Calvarese clashed over business, economic and spending issues in their first debate Tuesday.
The candidates for Colorado's 4th Congressional District met in Roxborough Park for what is currently the only scheduled debate between the two. The event was sponsored by The Douglas County Economic Development Corporation, and 9NEWS partners Colorado Politics and the Denver Gazette.
Boebert and Calvarese delivered notably different visions for the country, and the district's, economic future.
Boebert stood by her support of the oil and gas industry and was vocal about defunding sustainable energy initiatives like wind and solar.
"We have been regulated in poverty," Boebert said to the audience Tuesday. She also proposed defunding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and handing the power to make regulatory decisions over to congress.
Calvarese argued that economic issues could be addressed by shoring up existing legislation.
Calvarese called out Boebert's record by saying she voted against spending measures that would help Coloradans. Boebert defended her votes in Congress, saying she won’t vote for an omnibus legislation even if she might support parts of it.
“What about cuts to the VA?” Calvarese asked. “That would hurt veterans.”
The candidates did agree on a few points:
- Both candidates expressed an interest in uplifting small businesses in their district
- Agreed that tips should be tax exempt
- They are opposed to foreign interests purchasing farmland in the U.S.
Boebert and Calvarese also want to extend existing tax cuts put in place by former President Donald Trump – though they disagreed on how to go about it.
Boebert said she wants to add more tax cuts, while Calvarese said she'd revise them and extend what's working for businesses, noting the middle class needs a tax break. The two differed on the child tax credit, with Boebert saying it shouldn't apply to "anchor babies" or children born in the U.S. whose parents are not U.S. citizens.
Watch the full debate here:
Boebert and Calvarese are battling it out for former Republican U.S. Rep. Ken Buck's seat in CD4.
Buck resigned in March, and Republican Greg Lopez defeated Calvarese in a June special election to serve out the remainder of Buck's term. Boebert did not run in the special election.
Boebert switched from her former congressional district, Colorado's 3rd, after winning the 2022 election by only 546 votes.
Calvarese has worked for the U.S. Civil Service and The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). She grew up nearby in Highlands Ranch.
The 4th district encompasses Douglas County, parts of Larimer and Weld Counties, and the Eastern Plains. Its voter makeup is 47% unaffiliated, 35% Republican and 17% Democrat. The Republican candidate is most likely to win this race.