Representing Colorado’s 4th District since 2015, Buck, a Republican, had previously stated his intention to retire from the House of Representatives at the end of his current term in January. However, Boebert, who has been serving Colorado’s 3rd District since 2021, made a surprising announcement in December. She revealed her decision to seek the 2024 GOP nomination for Buck’s district, rather than running for reelection in her current district, due to mounting concerns about her chances of winning.
In a surprising turn of events, Buck announced on Tuesday afternoon that he would be expediting his retirement plans. He will now be stepping down from office at the end of next week, much earlier than expected. The Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, expressed his surprise at this news. As a result, the GOP majority in the chamber will be significantly reduced, with a thin margin of 218-213, until a special election is conducted to fill Buck’s vacant seat. Colorado law mandates a special election for vacancies occurring more than 90 days before a general election.
Boebert now has a difficult choice to make. She must decide whether to stick to her current plan, seek the GOP nomination, and compete in the general election, or to enter the special election. Aaron Fritschner, a user on X platform, and former GOP congressman Adam Kinzinger have pointed out that if Boebert were to enter the special election, she would have to relinquish her current seat in the 3rd District. This would create a new vacancy that would necessitate another special election. Additionally, there is the risk that she might lose after making this move.
In a tweet, Adam Kinzinger expressed his view on Ken Buck’s early resignation, suggesting that it would benefit anyone other than Lauren Boebert. He pointed out that Boebert cannot run in the special election due to her current seat, which means that someone else will be elected to serve out the term. Kinzinger described this move as a smart decision.
According to Fritschner, Ken Buck is the representative for CO-4, while Lauren Boebert represents CO-3 and is vying to take his place. Fritschner explains that if Boebert is successful in winning a special election to replace Buck, she will have to step down from her current position, resulting in a new vacancy. However, if she chooses not to run in the special election, she runs the risk of losing her opportunity to continue serving in Congress.
If Boebert continues on her current path, she will likely face the challenge of the general electoral trend favoring incumbents, regardless of how short their time in office has been. Additionally, her bid for the 4th District nomination has encountered difficulties, as voters in the district have consistently voiced their dissatisfaction with her personal scandals and criticized her move to the district as opportunistic, despite her assertion that it is driven by more than just political motives.