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.
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 Distribution 64.75% rural[ 1] 35.25% urban Population (2023) 730,686[ 2] Median household income $71,503[ 2] Ethnicity Cook PVI R+7[ 3]
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.
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.
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 .
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]
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)
#
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
Cities of 10,000 people or more
edit
2,500 – 10,000 people
edit
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
List of members representing the district
edit
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 ]
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.
2013–2023
Lauren Boebert (Silt )
Republican
January 3, 2021 – present
117th 118th
Elected in 2020 .Re-elected in 2022 . Ran in the 4th district .
2023–present
Jeff Hurd (elect) (Grand Junction )
Republican
January 3, 2025
Elected in 2024 .
Historical district boundaries
edit
2003–2013
2013–2023
^ "Congressional Districts Relationship Files (State-based)" . U.S. Census Bureau . Archived from the original on April 2, 2013.
^ a b Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District" . www.census.gov .
^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List" . Cook Political Report . Retrieved January 10, 2023 .
^ Panetta, Grace. "GOP Congressman Scott Tipton was defeated by right-wing primary challenger Lauren Boebert in Colorado's 3rd congressional district" . Business Insider . Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020 .
^ "Colorado Legislative District Information: Congressional District 3" (PDF) . Colorado Redistricting.gov . Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission. Retrieved March 17, 2022 .
^ Burness, Alex (November 3, 2020). "Colorado's 3rd Congressional District: Lauren Boebert defeats Diane Mitsch Bush" . The Denver Post . Retrieved January 30, 2023 .
^ "Our Campaigns - CO District 3 Race - Nov 03, 1914" . www.ourcampaigns.com .
^ "Our Campaigns - CO District 3 Race - Nov 07, 1916" . www.ourcampaigns.com .
^ "Our Campaigns - CO District 3 Race - Nov 05, 1918" . www.ourcampaigns.com .
^ "1920 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1922 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1924 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1926 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1928 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1930 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1932 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1934 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1936 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1938 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "Our Campaigns - CO District 3 - Special Election Race - Nov 05, 1940" . www.ourcampaigns.com .
^ "1940 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1942 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1944 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1946 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1948 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1950 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1952 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1954 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1956 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1958 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1960 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1962 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1964 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1966 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1968 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1970 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1972 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1974 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1976 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1978 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1980 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1982 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1984 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1986 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1988 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1990 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1992 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1994 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1996 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "1998 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "2000 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "2002 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "2004 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "2006 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "2008 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "2010 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "2012 Election Results" (PDF) .
^ "2014 Election Results" . Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017 .
^ "2016 Election Results" . Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017 .
^ "2018 Colorado general election results" . Retrieved June 21, 2019 .
^ Kim, Cailyn. Lauren Boebert Wins In Colorado's 3rd Congressional District , Colorado Public Radio , November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
^ "Representative to the 118th United States Congress - District 3" . Colorado Secretary of State . November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022 .