Ken Buck Says He Isn’t Resigning To Hurt Lauren Boerbert

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) is denying that his decision to depart from office before his term ends is a move intended to hurt Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) bid for the seat he occupies.

Speaking to the Colorado Sun, the Colorado lawmaker called the idea of him leaving office at the end of March 22 to stop Boebert from taking his place “ridiculous.”

“I’m not giving anybody an advantage or disadvantage. I have done my very best to stay out of this primary election,” he said.

Claiming that he wants to be “a voice of change in our system,” he explained that he timed his resignation so that the special election to replace him will coincide with Colorado’s primary on June 25. This, he said, will reduce the cost to taxpayers.

Buck, who had initially announced in November that he will not be seeking reelection when his term expires this year. “It is impossible for the Republican Party to confront our problems and offer a course correction for the future while being obsessively fixated on retribution and vengeance for contrived injustices of the past,” he said in his announcement.

“The Republican Party of today, however, is ignoring self-evident truths about the rule of law and limited government in exchange for self-serving lies. I made a decision to leave Congress because tough votes are being replaced by social media status,” he added.

However, Buck announced on Tuesday that he would be leaving Congress earlier than he initially planned. In a statement posted to X, he wrote, “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.”

Statement from Congressman Ken Buck on his departure from Congress. pic.twitter.com/orjSzenZnv

— Rep. Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) March 12, 2024

Boebert, who currently represents Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, announced in December that she would run for the state’s 4th Congressional District which Buck was leaving vacant.

I wanted to let you, my constituents and supporters, hear directly from me about my plans for the 2024 election cycle and the importance of maintaining a conservative voice for Colorado in Congress as well as keeping our Republican House majority.

I cannot put into words how… pic.twitter.com/YY5PHS1EJs

— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) December 28, 2023

After Buck announced his earlier exit, Boebert released a statement calling him “selfish” and slamming his decision as “a swampy backroom deal to try to rig an election.”

With the special election to replace Buck potentially set for June 25, when the state’s primary is scheduled, Boebert has said she will not seek the nomination, as that would mean abandoning her current constituents in the middle of her term.

Instead, she will set her sights on winning the GOP primary, which will be a solid determinant in who wins the race in November.