Ken Buck, a Republican from Colorado, is resigning from the House. This is now the 6th resignation since the beginning of Congress, with the GOP majority shrinking evermore. There are now only six additional Republicans, which makes it difficult to maintain party unity for Speaker Mike Johnson.
Buck’s resignation has major implications for future elections as well. Lauren Boebert’s own district has been seriously redivided, pushing her to run in Ken Buck’s district later this year. With a special election, she would have to step down and run, complicating her chances. Fox News reports:
Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., on Thursday rejected claims that his decision to resign from Congress early is intended to hurt Representative Lauren Boebert’s chances of winning in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.
Buck announced earlier this year that his current term would be his last in the House of Representatives. But on Tuesday, he stunned his GOP colleagues by announcing his resignation will be effective on March 22, which will trigger a special election for his seat in the 4th District on June 25 to temporarily fill the vacancy.
This Congress has seen more resignations than previous Congresses, particularly dangerous since the margin was already so tight. The avalanche became worse when Speaker McCarthy was ousted, which made many Centrist Republicans throw in the towel. The Washington Post says:
The data for congressional resignations is somewhat murky, but it’s clear that over the last four decades, at least, the House hasn’t seen this many people just quit public service in the middle of their term.
It started last May when Rep. David N. Cicilline (D-R.I.) resigned after more than 12 years in office to lead the Rhode Island Foundation, and soon after Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) resigned to start a lobbying firm. Earlier this year Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.) quit to go home for a Buffalo arts job, while Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) left to take over as president of Youngstown State University.
Although a tough pill to swallow, these resignations will likely reshape the Republican Party in a more Populist direction. The 2024 Election will therefor hinge on whether the Party can adopt a relatively consistent message, while still allowing for differences on local issues.
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