Adam Frisch

Adam Bennett Frisch (born October 1, 1967) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. He served on the Aspen City Council from 2011 to 2019, and chaired Pitkin County's financial review committee from 2005 to 2011. He was the Democratic nominee for a house seat in against Republican incumbent Lauren Boebert which he narrowly lost by around 534 votes or a margin of 0.16%. The narrow result was surprising to many political pundits who had expected Boebert to win by a large margin.

In February 2023 Frisch announced his second campaign for the same seat in 2024.

9NEWS (Denver) notes that Frisch "has downplayed his party affiliation in this largely rural and conservative-leaning district and instead has called himself a 'conservative businessman.'"

Early life and education

Frisch was born in 1967 to a Jewish family. Frisch's family lived on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana until he was five years old. The family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where they attended a Conservative synagogue. His father was an obstetrician-gynecologist and later worked for Planned Parenthood five years before retiring. Frisch was involved in ski racing from a young age but had to give it up after sustaining an injury. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, in 1990 with a degree in economics.

Early career

After college, he waited tables in Manhattan before becoming a currency trader for 10 years. He has traveled extensively around the world.

In 2003, he moved to Colorado. He chaired Pitkin County's financial review committee from 2005 to 2011. He then served on the Aspen's City Council from 2011 to 2019. During that period he was instrumental in sending a development referendum to voters, known as "Lift One", which barely passed. The development project, fronted by a member of the Gorsuch family split the community, affected the credibility of the local newpaper, ''The Aspen Times'', and raised questions about the developers.

Congressional race (2023)

In 2022, he won the Democratic nomination for a House seat in , by 300 votes. Frisch traveled throughout the state, covering more than 3000 miles and visiting 102 venues during the last days of the campaign. He appealed to Colorado Western Slope's rural populations with his family's roots in the west (his great-grandfather started a cattle ranch which remains in the family). ''The New York Times'' writes that Frisch characterized his challenger, Lauren Boebert, "as a flamethrower in an increasingly polarized Congress, who he said was more focused on placating the Republican Party’s far-right Trump wing than reducing inflation and adding jobs."

On the campaign trail, he repeatedly characterized Boebert in terms that resonated with many voters, as "part of the 'angertainment industry,' crediting the expression to his middle and high school buddy, current Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips."

The election was the closest of national-level races in the election-cycle. Frisch was leading in vote-count from election night on for weeks. It was eventually determined by state-mandated recount on December 12 that Boebert won by 546 votes out of more than 325,000 votes cast, so by a 0.07 percent margin.

On November 18, 2022 he conceded the race and incumbent Republican challenger Boebert declared victory. The race went to a recount with Frisch losing by a margin of 546 votes. It was the closest race in the 2022 midterm cycle. Frisch reacted to the final tally by stating, we "showed the nation that extremist politicians are not invincible".

2024 campaign

On February 14, 2023, Adam Frisch announced that he will run again for the United States House of Representatives against Lauren Boebert. ''The Colorado Sun'' wrote that this would be "one of the nation’s most closely watched 2024 congressional contests". On April 1, Frisch received the state Democratic Party's "Rising Star" award at its Obama Gala. After six weeks of campaigning, Frisch had raised $1.7 million from 48,000 donations from all over the US. Frisch's early campaign funds were reported as a million dollars more than the $667,000 raised by Boebert in the first three months of 2023. By mid-April, a poll of 3rd Congressional District voters showed Frisch and Boebert evenly matched at 45% each.

Political positions

Frisch has referred to himself as a "as a pro-business, pro-energy, moderate, pragmatic Democrat", who supports a woman's right to choose, renewable energy (while supporting Colorado's oil and gas industry), and responsible water storage policies for the Colorado Western Slope. Frisch supports more affordable options being made available in the private healthcare market.
Following President Joe Biden announcing his student loan forgiveness plan, Frisch's campaign released a statement opposing it. Frisch also opposes widespread action on federal student debt relief.

Personal life

Frisch and his wife, Katy Frisch, live in Aspen, Colorado. The couple, who have two children, were married in Vail in 2003. Katy Frisch is president of the Aspen School Board. Frisch's 16-year-old son was active during the 2022 campaign.

Electoral history

Electoral history

References

External links

Adam Frisch for Congress
campaign website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frisch, Adam
1967 births
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American Jews
Living people
People from Minneapolis
Businesspeople from Colorado
People from Aspen, Colorado
21st-century American businesspeople
People from Montana
People from New York City
Candidates in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections
University of Colorado Boulder alumni
Colorado city council members
Candidates in the 2024 United States House of Representatives elections