April 17, 2017 02:28 PM UTC

Lamborn Not Spared Constituent Backlash As Primary Looms

•  
• by: Colorado Pols

As the Colorado Statesman’s John Tomasic reports, the Brick Tamland of Colorado’s congressional delegation Rep. Doug Lamborn has been holding town halls in across the beating red heart of his El Paso County constituency–and like fellow Republicans across the state and nation with the temerity to stick their heads out during the Easter recess, Lamborn got chewed out but good:

Town hall season in Colorado Springs is not only of interest for the way angry crowds are meeting Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn, it’s also of interest for Colorado election politics watchers looking for pregame action by which to gauge a likely top primary race in the state.

Lamborn is gamely wrestling at town halls across his conservative 5th District with angry constituents alarmed mainly by Trump administration bumbling and the Republican health care reform plan.

He was jeered by an overflow crowd at a meeting in Colorado Springs on Wednesday, as the Gazette reported. The crowd mocked him when he said he supported renewable energy. They pushed him on climate change. They shouted out “Affordable Care Act” whenever he said “Obamacare.”

As Tomasic reports, Lamborn is smiling his way through the recess with the kind of indestructible confidence that can only come from a complete lack of self-awareness. Or perhaps not–Lamborn’s very safe Republican seat means the biggest threat he will likely face would come in a Republican primary, not the general election. Hard-right Republican primary challenger state Sen. Owen Hill is a fresh face, but he certainly doesn’t offer anything to appeal to the independent-left voters Trump has mobilized to resistance at town halls.

Bottom line: Lamborn is the poster child of Congress’ 11% approval rating and a 96% incumbent re-election rate.