Republican primary candidate Mike Lynch didn’t sugarcoat the question to his opponent on the crammed debate stage, Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, who hopped into the race last month partly over fear of a loss in the district she currently represents.

“Could you give the definition of ‘carpetbagger?’” Lynch asked to low murmurs from the crowd at the first Republican primary debate in Fort Lupton, a community in Colorado’s 4th District.

It was expected. The candidate before Lynch had asked the same question, if more delicately put. The accusation had already been lobbed at Boebert after she joined the packed primary race, escaping a rematch against Democrat Adam Frisch, who nearly beat her in the last election.

With Republicans hanging onto control of the U.S. House by their fingertips, Republicans and Democrats are wrestling fiercely over every close race. That includes the seat Boebert holds in Colorado’s 3rd District, which was considered solidly leaning to the GOP but changed to a toss-up for this year after Boebert won by only 546 votes in 2022.