Lauren Boebert declares victory in unexpectedly tight House race, despite no networks calling it and a recount looming

• Lauren Boebert said she won her election despite the vote being in recount territory.
• No major network has called the race, which Boebert led by 501 votes as of early Friday.

Rep. Lauren Boebert claimed victory in her race in the 2022 midterms, despite the slim margin of votes indicating the election is headed for a recount.

No major network has called the extraordinarily tight race in Colorado's 3rd District, where as of early Friday morning Boebert led Democrat Adam Frisch by 551 votes, or 0.16% of the vote, according to Insider's election partner Decision Desk HQ.

Observers did not expect Boebert to struggle to be re-elected, but her race quickly proved far more competitive, with Frisch ahead at some points earlier in the count.

Colorado law sends elections to an automatic recount if there is a margin of 0.5% or less between the candidates.

Even so, this didn't deter Boebert from declaring victory late on Thursday. "We won! I am so thankful for all of your support and I am so proud to be your Representative!" she wrote on Twitter.

In an accompanying video she said: "I'm told there are less than 200 votes outstanding which makes me so happy to announce we have won this race," she said. Insider was unable to verify this figure.

Boebert acknowledged the likely recount, but claimed it would not make any difference and therefore she was sure of victory.

"Past recounts in Colorado have resulted in far fewer votes being adjusted than anything that could affect the current outcome we're seeing tonight in this race," she said, adding that viewers "can be certain" that she will be sworn in as a member of Congress in January.

Colorado's Republican Party retweeted her message and congratulated her.

Her opponent, Frisch, told Colorado Public Radio that he was in Washington, DC for new member orientation, but acknowledged that it might be fruitless.

He said he's "going through the motions and getting pictures taken," but added: "I try to sit on the very edge just in case they have to cut me out at the end."

Boebert has been a strong voice on the far right of her party in recent years and one of the most prominent members of Donald Trump's MAGA movement.

Boebert faced calls for censure by Democratic lawmakers last year after she insinuated that Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was a suicide bomber.

Polling before Election Day showed Boebert with a comfortable lead against Frisch, a former Aspen City Council members and businessman, who received little help from the national Democratic party.

Despite this Frisch, a conservative Democrat, has provided Boebert with a tough race. In 2020, Boebert was elected to Congress with 51.4% of the vote, ending up 6.2% ahead of her then-opponent.

Boebert is not alone in making a premature victory call; in the 2020 presidential election then-President Donald Trump falsely declared himself the winner long before the count was concluded.