A Denver judge on Tuesday refused to sideline retired Navy Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher from the Democratic caucus and assembly process, keeping her bid to take on Rep. Lauren Boebert alive for now. The ruling means Laubacher can still try to qualify for the June 30 primary through the assembly route or by petition while the court fight plays out.
The lawsuit was filed by 2024 Democratic nominee Trisha Calvarese and Lisa Chollet, chair of the Democratic Party's 4th Congressional District central committee, who argue Laubacher failed to meet a 12-month party registration requirement. Plaintiffs say Laubacher switched her registration on March 27, 2025, and that state party chair Shad Murib later moved multi-county assemblies back one day, a late scheduling change they argue altered eligibility at the last minute, as reported by Colorado Politics.
Judge Says No To Emergency Block
Denver District Court Judge Mark Bailey said the plaintiffs "did not make a strong showing that immediate and irreparable harm would occur" if he granted a temporary restraining order, and he denied the emergency relief at a hearing on Tuesday. The court's refusal keeps the party's assembly schedule intact for now, according to Colorado Newsline.
Big Money, Bigger Stakes In CO-04
Laubacher has outraised every other candidate in the CO-04 field by a wide margin, pulling in roughly $6.5 million this cycle, a haul that has sharpened the stakes around any procedural move that could limit her path to the ballot, according to The Green Papers. A retired rear admiral and former National Security Council staffer, Laubacher's campaign says it will pursue both the caucus and assembly route and petitioning onto the primary ballot, as reported by Colorado Politics.
Rivals Cry Foul On Party Favoritism
Calvarese accused party leaders of showing "misguided favoritism" toward an establishment candidate and argued that rules should be enforced consistently, while Murib defended the calendar shift as "an elegant solution" to avoid disqualifying a candidate on a technicality. Those comments and the suit's arguments were detailed in court filings and reporting from the hearing, according to Colorado Newsline.
What Happens Next
The lawsuit does not block Laubacher from qualifying by petition, and county caucuses and assemblies are set to proceed as scheduled ahead of Colorado's June 30 primary. Court records list the case as 2026CV30772 in Denver District Court and show the matter was docketed for a March 3 hearing, according to the Colorado Judicial Branch. Election officials say ballots for the primary will be mailed in June, per Douglas County Elections.
Legal Implications
The key question is whether a party officer's scheduling decision can be treated as a retroactive change to eligibility under party bylaws and state election law, and whether that creates the kind of immediate, irreparable harm judges require to step in. Colorado's procedures for emergency injunctive relief follow Rule 65-style standards, which require specific proof of immediate and irreparable injury before a court will grant a temporary restraining order, according to civil-procedure guidance from JD Porter.
