Politics can lead to tragic losses. But even then, no one saw this coming.
And a tragic loss within the GOP has left the country shaken.
On Tuesday, a second Republican declared that he would be leaving the House early, further undermining the already slim GOP majority in the lower house.
In a statement, Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), who said months earlier that he would not run for office again this year, did not give a justification for advancing his departure date before his two-year term ends in January 2025.
“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,” he said.
He then added, “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
In remarks to reporters, Buck did, however, provide further context by mentioning the impeachment investigation that centers on President Joe Biden’s wrongdoing.
The Washington Post reports that Buck said, “We’ve taken impeachment and we’ve made it a social media issue as opposed to a constitutional concept — this place keeps going downhill and I don’t need to spend more time here.”
Though no announcements have been made as of now, there is already growing anticipation for a special election to be held in the upcoming months to select a replacement for Buck.
One of the candidates running for the 4th Congressional District seat for a full term beginning next year is Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), who now represents Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.
With Buck’s early exit, Republicans would have 218 members, Democrats 213;
However, the GOP leadership can only lose two votes on party-line matters when all members are present.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was “surprised” by the announcement and that he was “looking forward to talking with him about that.”
The 435-member body now has three vacancies as Democrat Tom Suozzi filled a fourth last month after winning a special election following the expulsion of Representative George Santos (R-NY).
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) made the decision to resign from Congress at the conclusion of the previous year after losing the speakership in October.
To fill the remaining term, California decided to have a primary on March 19 and a general election on May 21, assuming no candidate receives 50% of the vote.
McCarthy-backed Republican Vince Fong progressed to the general election in November after taking first place in a primary runoff for the district’s open seat.
The next few months will play a significant part in deciding the future of America.
We must rally together to oppose the oppressions of the Left.
Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.
