Aspen’s Frisch wins Dem primary in bid to unseat right-wing Rep. Boebert in CD3

Former Aspen City Council member Adam Frisch won the Democratic nomination in Tuesday’s primary for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, edging out Pueblo activist Sol Sandoval by under 2,000 votes.

“We’re really excited about getting into the general election. I think this district is ready for a representative who is not going to be leading the anger-tainment industry. We can do better, and we will do better,” Frisch said in a video posted to his Facebook page Tuesday night when it appeared likely he would be victorious.

Incumbent Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert is known for her controversial and often adversarial remarks. Boebert defeated a primary challenge Tuesday night and will compete with Frisch in November.

Frisch captured just over 24,000 votes, winning by large margins in counties along the Western Slope. Sandoval carried Pueblo County and the San Luis Valley and ended up with about 22,500 votes. A third candidate, political newcomer Alex Walker, received about 8,700 votes.

The southwestern corner of Eagle County that’s in the Roaring Fork Valley is still in CD3 after redistricting, but the majority of Eagle County, including Vail, is in the 2nd Congressional District represented by Democrat Joe Neguse.

In a Wednesday tweet, Frisch thanked Sandoval and Walker for a “hard fought and inspiring race” and called for unity in order to defeat Boebert in the fall.

Frisch served on the Aspen City Council from 2011 until 2018.

He will enter the general election campaign with about $630,000 in cash on hand. He has contributed over $2.2 million of his own money to his campaign so far.

Editor’s note: This story first appeared on Colorado Newsline, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com. Follow Colorado Newsline on Facebook and Twitter.