While the 4th takes in some suburbs of the Democratic-leaning Denver metropolitan area, unlike in the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th districts based in the Metro area with a Democratic advantage, the suburban Denver portions of the 4th, such as Parker and Castle Rock, are strongly Republican to this day. Longmont is the only major city in the district to lean Democratic (although not as much as the rest of Boulder County), and there is some Democratic strength in Greeley itself near the University of Northern Colorado. On the other hand, the district takes in some of the most Republican counties in Colorado, such as Washington, Kit Carson, and Rio Blanco, where Democrats rarely exceed even 20 percent of the vote.