We can’t say we’ve seen election workers in full-body armor or doing any fancy martial arts moves. But they’ve learned a thing or two on how to react to emergency situations along with simple de-escalation tactics. A new state law makes it unlawful to threaten, coerce or intimidate election officials, and interfere with duties or retaliate.

This training and protection was needed. The good news is, we haven’t heard of any hostile behavior to the degree of real concern. Elections have been smooth. We’re hopeful this means election conspiracy theories started by former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election are in the rearview mirror, where they belong. We’re returning to the normalcy of running strong races with accurate results. Our trust and faith and in the election process is intact.

As Secretary of State Jena Griswold likes to say, Colorado’s election model is the best in the nation. Our state’s hybrid model of mail and in-person balloting shows that if you give Coloradans the opportunity to vote, they will eagerly do so.

There’s no denying QAnon supporters and election deniers scored seats around the country. Yet, that red tsunami of GOP wins didn’t wash ashore. We’re not hearing cries to storm to the Capitol or talk of a civil war. Candidates paid the price to hold onto that relationship with Trump – personally, professionally and historically– as he loses his sheen and influence.

Our 3rd Congressional District may be the exception, though. As of this writing, incumbent Lauren Boebert is slightly ahead of Adam Frisch. It’s a wakeup call. No matter how this race goes down, one thing is certain. Boebert underperformed and Frisch was seriously underestimated.

National election forecasters said Boebert would handily hold onto the safely Republican seat. Last month, when Frisch released internal polling that showed the two in a statistical dead heat, with Boebert pulling 47% support to his 45% and another 7% undecided, we questioned his numbers. Discounted him. But he was right all along.

Frisch gave Boebert a real run for her money.

We hope she realizes this. If Boebert’s prayers at election parties are answered, we hope she doesn’t gloat, and is circumspect about that CD3 needs and wants. In the two weeks before the election, we noticed a slight change in her. Boebert seemed more serious. More tempered. For her, that is.

She denied a request for an interview with The Durango Herald and The Journal, but agreed to answer questions via email – or her communication’s people did – for a story earlier this month. Boebert’s answers lined out “the top five issues facing Southwest Colorado.”

Her caustic attitude shone through with digs against Gov. Jared Polis and the Biden administration. Surprisingly, she didn’t mention Nancy Pelosi.

Boebert’s points included the economy and inflation, energy, water, border security and drugs, and housing. She took credit for the Pine River Indian Irrigation Project that provides irrigation to the Southern Ute Indians, although she voted against the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, which designated the $10 million funding to the project. No surprise there.

We hope Boebert has matured enough to see that she’s Trump and Marjorie Taylor-Greene’s megaphone and pawn. It’s time that she acts as her own person. The election numbers show, she can be replaced.

We’re all tired of the chaos. It’s time to move on. We’ll continue to hold Boebert accountable and press her to do real work for CD3 if she is, in fact, the winner of this race.