Colorado's 3rd congressional district

Colorado's 3rd congressional district
Colorado's 3rd congressional district
	Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023. Points indicate the two major cities in the district (Grand Junction in red and Pueblo in blue).
Representative	Lauren Boebert; R–Silt
Distribution	64.75% rural; 35.25% urban;
Population (2023)	730,686
Median household; income	$71,503
Ethnicity	66.7% White; 25.7% Hispanic; 3.8% Two or more races; 1.4% Native American; 0.8% Black; 0.8% Asian; 0.6% other;
Cook PVI	R+7

Colorado's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. It takes in most of the rural Western Slope in the state's western third portion, with a wing in the south taking in some of the southern portions of the Eastern Plains. It includes the cities of Grand Junction, Montrose, Durango, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, and Pueblo. The district has been represented by Republican Lauren Boebert since 2021.

Quick Facts Representative, Distribution ...

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The district was represented from 1987 to 1993 by Ben Nighthorse Campbell before he ran for the U.S. Senate and switched parties from Democratic to Republican. The district's former representative Scott Tipton lost renomination in 2020 to Lauren Boebert in what was considered a major upset.^[4] Boebert won the general election on November 3, 2020, and narrowly won re-election in the closest House race of 2022.

The district is mainly rural and leans Republican, though not as much as the neighboring 4th district. However, the Democrats have a strong base in counties on the I-70 corridor and Pueblo, as well as ski towns such as Aspen, thus keeping the seat competitive.

1990s

Following the 1990 U.S. census and associated realignment of Colorado congressional districts, the 3rd congressional district consisted of Alamosa, Archuleta, Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Delta, Dolores, Eagle, Garfield, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jackson, Lake, La Plata, Mesa, Mineral, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel, and Summit counties, as well as portions of Douglas, Fremont, and Jefferson counties.

2000s

Following the 2000 U.S. census and realignment of congressional districts, the 3rd congressional district consisted of Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Garfield, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jackson, La Plata, Las Animas, Mesa, Mineral, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Pitkin, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, and San Miguel counties and most of Otero County.

2010s

Following the 2010 U.S. census and realignment of congressional districts, the 3rd congressional district underwent very little change, and continued to cover 27 of the previous counties, excluding Las Animas and Otero counties.^[5]

2020s

Following the 2020 U.S. census and realignment of congressional districts, the 3rd congressional district lost Jackson County, Routt County, and most of Eagle County to the 2nd district as well as Custer and Lake counties to the 7th district. It also gained Las Animas and Otero counties from the 4th district. This configuration of the district took effect starting from the 2022 elections.

The district has two major population centers, in Grand Junction and Pueblo. The two cities and their surrounding rural areas provide a competitive arena for congressional races. Grand Junction, on the Western Slope, is a Republican stronghold, while Pueblo, a town with a large Latino population and (by Colorado norms) a heavily unionized workforce, provides a base of support for Democrats.

The Denver Post describes the district as:

The district is red-leaning, and it covers nearly half of Colorado's land mass, including western and southern Colorado, and 29 of the state's 64 counties. It's also diverse, with wealthy ski towns like Aspen, giant swaths of agricultural land and public lands, and middle-class cities like Grand Junction and Pueblo.^[6]
— Alex Burness, Denver Post (November 3, 2020)

More information #, County ...

#	County	Seat	Population
3	Alamosa	Alamosa	16,592
7	Archuleta	Pagosa Springs	14,003
21	Conejos	Conejos	7,579
23	Costilla	San Luis	3,603
29	Delta	Delta	31,602
33	Dolores	Dove Creek	2,455
37	Eagle	Eagle	55,285
45	Garfield	Glenwood Springs	62,271
51	Gunnison	Gunnison	17,267
53	Hinsdale	Lake City	775
55	Huerfano	Walsenburg	7,082
67	La Plata	Durango	56,607
71	Las Animas	Trinidad	14,327
77	Mesa	Grand Junction	158,636
79	Mineral	Creede	931
81	Moffat	Craig	13,177
83	Montezuma	Cortez	26,468
85	Montrose	Montrose	43,811
89	Otero	La Junta	18,303
91	Ouray	Ouray	5,100
97	Pitkin	Aspen	16,876
101	Pueblo	Pueblo	169,544
103	Rio Blanco	Meeker	6,569
105	Rio Grande	Del Norte	11,325
109	Saguache	Saguache	6,623
111	San Juan	Silverton	803
113	San Miguel	Telluride	8,003

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Cities of 10,000 people or more

Pueblo – 111,876
Grand Junction – 65,560
Pueblo West – 33,086
Clifton – 20,413
Montrose – 20,291
Durango – 19,071
Fruita – 13,395
Rifle – 10,437

2,500 – 10,000 people

Glenwood Springs – 9,963
Alamosa – 9,806
Redlands – 9,061
Craig – 9,060
Delta – 9,035
Cortez – 8,766
Trinidad – 8,329
Fruitvale – 8,271
Gypsum – 8,040
La Junta – 7,322
Aspen – 7,004
Orchard Mesa – 6,688
Gunnison – 6,560
Carbondale – 6,434
Battlement Mesa – 5,438
New Castle – 4,923
Monte Vista – 4,247
El Jebel – 4,130
Basalt – 3,984
Rocky Ford – 3,876
Silt – 3,536
Orchard City – 3,142
Snowmass Village – 3,096
Walsenburg – 3,049
Bayfield – 2,838
Telluride – 2,607
Palisade – 2,565

More information Election results, Year ...

Election results
Year	Office	Results
2000	President	Bush 54% – Al Gore 39%
2004	President	Bush 55% – Kerry 44%
2008	President	McCain 50% – Obama 47%
2012	President	Romney 52% – Obama 46%
2016	President	Trump 52% – Clinton 40%
2016	Senate	Glenn 50% – Bennet 44%
2018	Governor	Stapleton 52% – Polis 48%
2020	President	Trump 52% – Biden 46%
2020	Senate	Gardner 53% – Hickelooper 45%
2022	Governor	Polis 49.5% – Ganahl 47.3%
2022	Senate	O'Dea 48.9% - Bennet 47.8%

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More information Member (District home), Party ...

Member (District home)	Party	Term duration	Cong ress	Electoral history	District location
District created March 4, 1915
Edward Keating (Pueblo)	Democratic	March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1919	64th 65th	Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Lost re-election.
Guy Urban Hardy (Canon City)	Republican	March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1933	66th 67th 68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd	Elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Lost re-election.
John Andrew Martin (Pueblo)	Democratic	March 4, 1933 – December 23, 1939	73rd 74th 75th 76th	Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Died.
Vacant		December 23, 1939 – November 5, 1940	76th
William Evans Burney (Pueblo)	Democratic	November 5, 1940 – January 3, 1941	76th	Elected to finish Martin's term. Did not run for the next term.
J. Edgar Chenoweth (Trinidad)	Republican	January 3, 1941– January 3, 1949	77th 78th 79th 80th	Elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Lost re-election.
John Henry Marsalis (Pueblo)	Democratic	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951	81st	Elected in 1948. Lost re-election.
J. Edgar Chenoweth (Trinidad)	Republican	January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1965	82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th	Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Lost re-election.
Frank Evans (Pueblo)	Democratic	January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1979	89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th	Elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Retired.
Ray Kogovsek (Pueblo)	Democratic	January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1985	96th 97th 98th	Elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Retired.
Mike Strang (Carbondale)	Republican	January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1987	99th	Elected in 1984. Lost re-election.
Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Ignacio)	Democratic	January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1993	100th 101st 102nd	Elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Retired to run for U.S. senator.
Scott McInnis (Glenwood Springs)	Republican	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2005	103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th	Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Retired.	1993–2003 [data missing]
Scott McInnis (Glenwood Springs)	Republican	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2005	103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th		2003–2013
John Salazar (Manassa)	Democratic	January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2011	109th 110th 111th	Elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Lost re-election.
Scott Tipton (Cortez)	Republican	January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2021	112th 113th 114th 115th 116th	Elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Lost renomination.
Scott Tipton (Cortez)	Republican	January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2021	112th 113th 114th 115th 116th		2013–2023
Lauren Boebert (Silt)	Republican	January 3, 2021 – present	117th 118th	Elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Ran in the 4th district.	2013–2023
Lauren Boebert (Silt)	Republican	January 3, 2021 – present	117th 118th		2023–present