Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) will retire from Congress next week, he said Tuesday, a stunning announcement that will narrow the House GOP’s razor-thin majority even further.
Buck — who has become known for breaking from his party on various issues and criticizing Republicans on election denialism — announced last year that he would depart the House at the end of his current term, but expedited that timeline Tuesday.
“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. 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 with my family,” he wrote in a statement.
The announcement from Buck, 65, puts a bookend on his nine-plus-year tenure in Congress, which in the past year included a number of controversial votes that put him in direct conflict with other members of the House GOP conference — including his decision to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and his opposition to the effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.