GOP Colorado Rep Ken Buck to resign from Congress by end of next week

Colorado GOP Rep. Ken Buck announced Tuesday that he will resign from the House by the end of next week.

Buck told Fox News he will remain a member until the end of the day on March 22. That same day is also the deadline for the next batch of spending bills to avoid a shutdown.

In a brief statement Tuesday morning, the Republican said his terms in office were an honor and that he is looking forward to staying involved in politics. 

"It has been an honor to serve the people of Colorado’s 4th District in Congress for the past 9 years," Buck wrote. "I want to thank them for their support and encouragement throughout the years. 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."

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Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., announced Tuesday that he will step down on Friday, March 22, 2024. (Shuran Huang for the Washington Post via Getty Images)

Colorado Governor Jared Polis also released a statement following Buck's announcement, thanking him for his years of service to the state. 

"I thank Ken for his years of public service to Colorado. From his time as Weld County District Attorney to his time in Congress, he has shown his deep commitment to improve public safety and to serve our nation. I wish him all the best in this next chapter," Governor Polis said.

"To ensure that Colorado has the representation we deserve in Congress, and to minimize taxpayer cost, I plan to take swift action to set the date of the special election to fill the vacancy created by Ken Buck’s resignation to align with Colorado’s primary on June 25th"

Buck has served in the House of Representatives since November 2014 and is currently assigned to the House Judiciary Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee.

Two weeks ago, Buck introduced a resolution that calls on Vice President Harris and the Cabinet to remove President Biden through the 25th Amendment, citing Biden’s mental and physical health.

Buck was also one of three House Republicans who opposed the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

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The slim Republican majority in the House of Representatives will get even smaller once Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado steps down on Friday, March 22, 2024. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File)

Buck previously announced he was not running for another term. His resignation will squeeze the GOP's majority even more.

The breakdown will be 431 members with 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats. Now, the GOP will only be able to lose two votes of their own on any given issue. 

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The next special election is for the seat occupied by former Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., on April 30. 

If that seat stays in Democrat hands, the new breakdown is 432 members with 218 Republicans and 214 Democrats. That would mean the margin would effectively be one seat for the GOP.

Flip two votes, and you have a tie, and by rule, tie votes lose in the House.

A special election to succeed former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is set for May 21.