House Republicans’ already tenuous grip on control of the House of Representatives may become even looser following the surprise announcement Tuesday by Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) that he will resign from Congress soon.
Buck told HuffPost he wants to get involved in the 2024 general election and how candidates are selected but gave no concrete plans.
“Everybody I’ve talked to is complaining about the choices they have for president. And it is time that we start talking about how we elect presidents, and how we elect Senators and congressmen and local leaders,” Buck said.
“And I feel very strongly about that. I don’t have an organization to join. I just know in my heart, I want to get involved in this election cycle and work on that issue.”
In his resignation announcement, Buck said he would depart Congress “at the end of next week.”
Buck is a staunch conservative and a member of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, made up of conservative and libertarian House Republicans. But he has also shown a pronounced willingness to defy party leaders and fellow hardliners on some issues.
He was vocal, for example, about opposing the impeachment of President Joe Biden, saying there was not enough evidence he had committed impeachable offenses.
Buck’s resignation would leave House Republicans with just 218 members, compared to 213 Democrats and what would be four open seats. That would mean the GOP could lose only two members and still retain the 216 votes needed to win floor votes if all members vote.
While Buck had announced he was not running for reelection and was known for being willing to take sometimes lonely stances within his party, the announcement came as a surprise on Capitol Hill.
“I was surprised by Ken’s announcement. I look forward to talking to him about that,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told a reporter for Punchbowl News.
Democrats, who are bullish on their chances for taking back control of the House in the fall, were heartened by the…
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