CNN has projected that Democrat Eileen Laubacher will defeat Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District. The network’s November 9 report also said Boebert had not conceded. A news organization’s call and an official election result are different steps.
Colorado’s Secretary of State describes election-night reporting as unofficial until the results have been canvassed and certified. A projection communicates a newsroom’s assessment of who will win; it does not certify ballots, stop the count or decide whether the state must conduct a recount.
For an automatic recount, Colorado compares the gap between the top two candidates with one-half of one percent of the leading candidate’s vote total. The threshold is based on the leader’s votes, not half a percentage point of every ballot cast. The Associated Press explained that rule in its October 30 guide to Colorado’s election.
A requested recount is a separate route. The state’s 2026 election calendar lists November 25 as the last day for an interested party to request one at their own expense. A campaign discussing a recount is not the same as an election official ordering one.
This report does not establish that a recount has been ordered or that the final margin meets the automatic threshold. The questions to watch are the completed count, the official canvass and any actual recount request or order. Readers can follow the state’s results page and election calendar through the source links below.
