Rep. Ken Buck Delivers Final Parting Shot to GOP

The House Republicans’ majority is about to get even smaller as Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) has decided to leave Congress next week instead of at the end of his as planned.

"It has been an honor to serve the people of Colorado's 4th District in Congress for the past 9 years. I want to thank them for their support and encouragement throughout the years,” Buck said in a statement shared to X/Twitter. "Today, I am announcing that I will depart Congress at the end of next week. I look forward to staying involved in our political process, as well as spending more time in Colorado and with my family."

In November, Buck announced he would not seek reelection. Buck previously opposed the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and he hasn’t been on board with efforts to impeach Joe Biden.

The good news is that Buck represents a very conservative district, and that seat will have to be filled by a special election sooner than later. The Denver Post noted that several Republicans have already declared their intention to run for the seat.

"… Buck’s unexpected resignation before his term ends would fall in the window where Colorado requires the governor to set a special election to fill the vacancy for the rest of this year, potentially supercharging that race. State law says a special election cannot be scheduled less than 90 days before the Nov. 5 election — meaning it must occur by early August,” the paper reports. "The state’s congressional primaries, when Democratic and Republican candidates will be nominated for the fall election, already are set for June 25. Whoever wins the special election would need to win in November to continue serving next year."

The 4th Congressional District stretches across eastern Colorado, from the Wyoming border south to the Oklahoma panhandle, and includes Douglas County in metro Denver. Boebert announced earlier that she would change districts to vie for the seat.
Former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg and state Reps. Mike Lynch and Richard Holtorf are among the Republicans who have also filed for the seat.
Buck is in his fifth term in Congress. He cited “self-serving lies” about the 2020 presidential election from within his own party when he announced he would not seek reelection.

Rep. Lauren Boebert previously announced her intention to switch to the district in the hopes of having an easier chance of staying in Congress. According to the Colorado Sun, Buck’s early retirement complicates her plans.

She currently represents the 3rd Congressional District, which is based on the other side of Colorado, and thus would likely have to resign her seat to run and win the special election to replace Buck. Members of Congress can’t represent two districts at once.
Polis, who was informed of Buck’s decision before he announced it publicly, cannot schedule the special election within 90 days of the November general election.
[...]
In an interview with CNN Tuesday after his announcement, Buck called the current climate in the U.S. House “the worst years of the nine years and three months I’ve been in Congress.”
Buck said he was leaving his seat “because I think there’s a job out there that I want to go do."

Frankly, he won’t be missed. It's almost not surprising he would screw over the GOP by leaving early.