Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) criticized Rep. Ken Buck’s (R-Colo.) decision to step down early as not strong but stated she would not step down to compete in the special election to fill his position.
Boebert represents the state’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes the Western Slope and much of southern Colorado. However, she declared last year that she would be running for Buck’s seat, located in the 4th district in eastern Colorado, after Buck announced he would not seek reelection.
However, Buck accelerated his retirement, announcing on Tuesday that he would be leaving Congress after the following week. This decision triggers a special election to complete his term and poses a threat to Boebert’s chances of being elected to his seat.
This development raised questions about whether Boebert would attempt to fill Buck’s seat for the rest of his term. Nevertheless, Boebert told The Hill, “I’m not leaving my constituents in the 3rd district.”
Boebert mentioned that she still plans to participate in the GOP primary this June to serve the full two-year term and criticized Buck’s decision to leave his House seat early in a statement issued through her campaign.
“Ken Buck’s announcement yesterday was a gift to the Uniparty. The establishment concocted a swampy backroom deal to try to rig an election I’m winning by 25 points,” she said. “Forcing an unnecessary Special Election on the same day as the Primary Election will confuse voters, result in a lame duck Congressman on day one, and leave the 4th District with no representation for more than three months. The 4th District deserves better.”
Boebert also emphasized that she was the “only Trump-endorsed, America First candidate in this race.”
Boebert, who first entered Congress in 2020, is in a challenging position politically. The Colorado Republican barely won reelection in the state’s 3rd district against Democrat Adam Frisch in 2022. Her decision to switch districts was seen as a move to avoid losing in her current district.
But the special election triggered by Buck’s earlier-than-expected retirement has thrown a wrench in her electoral prospects. Each party gets to nominate a candidate to face off in the June 25 special election – the same day as the state’s primary.
Because Buck’s district is reliably red, whichever Republican gets chosen to compete in the special election has a better chance to win the GOP primary for the two-year term to serve in the district starting in January, since voters will be deciding on both races on the same day.
Boebert would have had to resign from her seat to compete in the special election for Buck’s seat, which would have further imperiled the GOP majority in the House.
