Guess who won the 2021 popularity contest on our progressive news site? It wasn’t even close.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) blazed out of the gate, bringing about one million views to our news site in the first two months of the year alone, and for the remainder of the year, almost any story we wrote about her was at the top of our weekly most-clicked list.

Overall, as you can see below, Boebert starred in eight of our 10 most-viewed stories of 2021 — and drew more national media interest than any other topic.

The two other top-clicked stories were about eating Ivermectin and urban squirrels, not together.

Of course, we’re proud of much more of our coverage besides Boebert (on conspiracies, anti-vaxxers, abortion, economic equality, elections, and more), but Boebert wraps so much awful ignorance and ominous danger in a Congresswoman from our home state, she’s gotta be a top focus.

As such, you can’t fact-check or expose her extremism enough — or spend enough time documenting who’s swimming in her swamp. And no time informing yourself about Boebert is wasted.

If you believe she gets more popular and powerful because she gets so much media attention for being unafraid to lie or insult — and therefore the media should back off — we’re hosed. Facts and a spotlight will stop Boebert and her allies in the long run.

Top Ten Most-Viewed CTR Stories of 2021

  1. CO Lawmaker Rejected COVID Vaccine, Took Unproven Drug Ivermectin, Got COVID, Recovered, Restarts Ivermectin Without Being Vaccinated, by Michael Lund. “Colorado Rep. Rod Pelton (R-Cheyenne Wells) still considers all available COVID vaccines ‘experimental,’ preferring to treat himself with Ivermectin — a well-known, mostly veterinary drug repurposed by some as an unproven treatment and preventative drug for COVID — while choosing to forgo getting vaccinated.”
  2. Boebert Claimed Not To Know Anti-Govt Extremists She Posed With, But Photos Show Otherwise, by Erik Maulbetsch. “Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (R-CO) claimed she ‘didn’t know’ the anti-government extremists she posed with on the steps of the Colorado Capitol in 2019, but it turns out she’s known some of them for over a year.”
  3. Arrest Warrants Issued for Boebert in Multiple Cases After She Didn’t Show Up for Court Hearings, by Jason Salzman. Written last year, this piece reports that a ticket for careless driving/operating an unsafe vehicle led to Boebert’s eventual arrest after she failed to show up for her court hearing.
  4. Promoting QAnon-linked Conspiracy, Boebert Says Resignations Will Soon Allow GOP to Control Congress, by Erik Maulbetsch. “Boebert’s belief that a wave of resignations from Congress will allow Republicans to reclaim power before the next election is sure to raise some eyebrows.”
  5. Boebert’s Campaign Embraces Far-Right Militia Movement, by Erik Maulbetsch. “…Lauren Boebert is embracing elements of the militia movement, going so far as to ask militia members to provide security for her campaign events.” Published last year, the post became popular once Boebert was elected.
  6. A Brief History of Boebert’s Ties to Extremist & Conspiracy Groups, by Madeleine Schmidt. “Boebert, the newly-elected Colorado Congresswoman… has a history of involvement with … extremist groups.”
  7. ‘I Even Got a Pretty Mugshot Out of It,’ Says Boebert, Mocking Her Arrest, by Jason Salzman. Published last year, the post became popular once Boebert was elected. “Demonstrating no remorse for failing to show up for court multiple times, resulting in warrants being issued for her arrest…Boebert on Friday misrepresented and mocked her criminal arrest record, saying at one point, ‘And I even got a pretty mugshot out of it.’”
  8. Colorado Legislators Joined Extremist Groups for a ‘We Will Not Comply’ Rally Against Red Flag Law, by Erik Maulbetsch. Published in 2019, this post became popular this year because it contains a photo of Boebert with members of American Patriots III%, an extremist group. She later claimed not to know the people she stood with, but photos show otherwise.
  9. ‘No ‘Coincidence’ That July 4 Fell on Sunday This Year, Says Boebert at Grand Junction Rally, by Sharon Sullivan. ‘There are two nations created for God’s glory – Israel and the United States of America,’ Boebert said. ‘We stand strongly with Israel.’
  10. ‘Enough Is Enough’: Man Eats ‘Nuisance’ Squirrels From His Denver Yard, by Jason Salzman. “By eating squirrel, you get the added benefit of imagining all the tomatoes, peaches, apples, cherries, Maple trees, and other stuff you’re saving from being eaten by the rodents.”

National news outlets cited and/or linked to many of these CTR articles about the congresswoman from Rifle, making our stories about her our most popular among national media.

Selected National News Citing CTR’s Boebert Coverage in 2021

Fox News: “Squad Ally Deletes Tweet Demanding Boebert Expulsion Based on Misinformation,” by Evie Fordham.

New York Post: “New Colorado congresswoman has history of associating with militias,” Jon Levine.

The Nation: “How Does Someone Like Boebert Get Elected?” by Joan Walsh.

ABC News: “For GOP firebrand Rep. Lauren Boebert, anger and suspicion linger after Capitol riot,” by Matthew Mosk and Benjamine Seigel.

Politifact: “Viral Photo Shows Boebert in Colorado, Not U.S. Capitol,” by Samantha Putterman.

Snopes: “Does a Photo Show Rep. Bopabert with Insurrectionists at the U.S. Capitol?” by Dan Evon.

The Washington Post: “The emerging far-right ‘no’ caucus in the House,” by Philip Bump.

Hill Reporter: “Boebert Says Resignations Will Allow GOP to Control Congress,” by Tara Dublin.

Daily Mail: “Trump attends Hawaiian-themed party at Mar-a-Lago hosted by longtime donor Dr. Peter Lamelas and is joined by son Eric and his wife Lara,” by Adam Schrader.

Raw Story: “Lauren Boebert was ordered to garnish employee’s wages – but county has no record of her paying: report,” by Matthew Chapman.

Politico: “Where Voters Are Losing Patience With Lauren Boebert,” by Jennifer Oldham.

Washington Post: “Rep. Boebert reveals she used campaign funds to pay rent and utilities, FEC filing shows,” by Amy B. Wang.

RELATED: National Media Outlets That Cited the Colorado Times Recorder in 2020