DENVER — U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, a Republican who represents Colorado's 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced on Wednesday that he won't seek reelection in 2024.
Buck, who has represented the district that covers all of eastern Colorado since 2015, cited the Republican Party's acceptance of election denialism and lies as his reason for leaving Congress. He said he's disappointed to see Congress unable to deal with real issues.
"Our nation is on a collision course with reality, and a steadfast commitment to truth, even uncomfortable truths, is the only way forward," Buck said. "Too many Republican leaders are lying to America, claiming that the 2020 election was stolen, describing Jan. 6 as an unguided tour of the Capitol, and asserting that the ensuing prosecutions are a weaponization of our justice system.
"These insidious narratives breed widespread cynicism and erode Americans' confidence in the rule of law. It's 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."
>Below: Rep. Ken Buck's full video statement.
He said this trend in the Republican Party is a departure from the principles of conservatism and urged his party to stop "feeding popular narratives and start addressing the long-term solutions." He said his passion is work with Americans to encourage advocacy for long-term reforms.
“To my friends in Colorado, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve our nation, and to serve you," Buck said in a statement. "I look forward to seeing you at the grocery store and the high school football game. Being your representative in Washington, D.C., has been the greatest professional thrill, and highest honor, of my life.”
Earlier this month, Buck was one of 24 House Republicans who voted for someone other than Jim Jordan as speaker. He said he received death threats and was evicted from one of his congressional offices in his district for opposing the Ohio Republican. Jordan dropped his bid, and Mike Johnson was confirmed as speaker.
Buck did support the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, citing the California Republican's promotion of stopgap funding legislation as a reason for his vote.
This story includes previous reporting by Colorado Politics.
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