U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) recently used her time away from Washington, D.C. during the U.S. Congress’ summer recess to promote various public events in her home district in Colorado’s Western Slope. But she has not just appeared locally: today the congresswoman is set to join a Republican congressional colleague for a fundraiser in his home state of Michigan.
The event, which will be hosted in Spring Lake, Michigan, by the Muskegon County Conservative Women’s Caucus (MCCWC), gives Boebert the top billing on its flier, ahead of U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), who represents part of Muskegon County in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ticket sales went all the way up to a premium $1,800 category, which would net buyers access to an exclusive reception with the two representatives. Beyond that, sponsorships were available for up to $5,000, with the highest tier offering seats next to Boebert and Moolenaar at their dinner table.
Between the two of them, Boebert has more conservative media clout. She has garnered large amounts of attention from an array of news outlets, including this one, for her frequent inflammatory comments, support of conspiracy theories, and support for extremist groups. Being so outspoken and unfiltered has helped her to rise to prominence among Republicans; Boebert is a frequent guest on national conservative shows like Fox News.
Boebert’s out-of-state appearances are far from limited to Michigan. In the past, she’s been featured as a speaker at national conferences, such as Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona, late last year, as well as the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. in March. And last week, her official campaign Facebook posted a photograph of Boebert in a car with a fellow Freedom Caucus member, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL).
This follows a trend set by Boebert previously: last year, she flew to a fundraiser at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida during the final weeks of the 2022 election. She had also attended events in New Hampshire and Tennessee in prior months.
Moolenaar, whose political career started in 1997 as a member of the Midland City Council, may be less immediately recognizable. Though he has not vocally courted the far-right in the same ways as Boebert, he has not pushed them away either. He was one of many national Republicans who signed an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that sought to challenge Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
Moolenaar later voted to certify electoral votes for the 2020 election. However, since then, he has largely followed party lines in voting against forming a special committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Insurrection, as well as voting against impeaching Donald Trump for his role in inciting the Insurrection.
MCCWC seems to lean more toward Boebert’s brazen style of politics. The independent political action committee defines itself as “a collective voice of reason in a society gone woke.” On its website, MCCWC links to conspiracy theories about COVID and lists recommendations on how Christians can request religious exemptions from COVID vaccine mandates at colleges such as Michigan State University.
On its election information page, MCCWC provides links to help people register to vote. It also invokes election conspiracies about electronic voting machines, advising readers, “We must also keep fighting for election integrity. Our system is not fixed. The machines are not gone.”
The event will also feature a silent auction, with prizes including an official National Rifle Association (NRA) bag, a gift certificate for Concealed Pistol License (CPL) classes, and a handmade quilt.
In a Facebook post promoting the event, MCCWC shared a quote from Moolenaar’s campaign, which cast the Republican as facing titanic opposition from the Democrat political machine.
“[Democrats] are targeting Michigan: Michigan is an important swing state and a prime target for 2024,” states Moolenaar on the MCCWC Facebook page. “They’ve got so much on their side: From the mainstream media, Big Tech, and their billionaire donors. … Conservative fighters like John are needed in this battle of ideas.”
“Dems get their money from all sorts of places, and it’s hard to compete, but we must try. YOU can help us!” the message continued.
Moolenaar, whose career in U.S. Congress has spanned eight years so far, has won his past several elections soundly, typically taking home over 60% of the vote in the general election. The same can’t be said for Boebert: what was supposed to be a comfortable reelection victory last year became a highly-contested nailbiter, in which Boebert ultimately squeaked by with a mere 551 votes over her opponent Adam Frisch.
With Frisch intent on a rematch with Boebert in 2024, he’s gained support and shattered fundraising expectations. Boebert’s reaction to an internal Frisch campaign poll, which put him two points ahead of her, echoes the concerns from Moolenaar’s campaign message.
“If we don’t turn things around quickly, we could lose this seat to the Democrats. I can’t believe I’m saying those words, but I need you to understand how dire this situation is. [Frisch’s] latest internal polls have him beating us by two points,” Boebert stated in an official campaign email.
Boebert’s campaign manager did not respond to an emailed request for comment. This story will be updated with any response received.
