Rep. Ken Buck announces he won’t run for reelection

Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado announced Wednesday that he won’t seek reelection next year, citing the Republican Party’s 2020 election denial and “Jan. 6 narrative.”

“I’ve decided it’s time for me to do some other things,” Mr. Buck said on MSNBC on Wednesday. “I always have been disappointed with our inability in Congress to deal with major issues and I’m also disappointed that the Republican Party continues to rely on this lie that the 2020 election was stolen, and rely on the Jan. 6 narrative and political prisoners from Jan. 6 and other things,” he said.

“If we’re going to solve difficult problems, we’ve got to deal with some very unpleasant truths or lies and make sure that we project to the public what the truth is,” he said.

Mr. Buck, 64, was first elected to Congress in 2014 and represents Colorado’s 4th Congressional District. He serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  

He serves on the House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, commercial and administrative Law, and he also serves on the subcommittee on immigration and citizenship. He’s also on the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific and Western Hemisphere.

Mr. Buck was a prosecutor with the Department of Justice before making the switch to Congress.

“I’m going to be leaving Congress, I’m not going to be leaving the party and I’m not going to be leaving my role in trying to talk truth to the public,” he said.

“To my friends in Colorado, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve our nation. Being your representative in Washington D.C. has been the highest honor of my life,” he said on X, with his video announcement attached.

His announcement comes the same day as Rep. Kay Granger, Texas Republican and chair of the Appropriations Committee, who said she would not be seeking reelection.

She was first elected to Congress in 1996. She was the first female mayor of Fort Worth, the first Republican congresswoman from her state and the first female Republican Appropriations chair.

“I have been able to accomplish more in this life than I could have imagined, and I owe it all to my incredible family, staff, friends, and supporters,” Ms. Granger, 80, in a statement. “It’s time for the next generation to step up and take the mantle and be a strong and fierce representative for the people.”

Both Mr. Buck and Ms. Granger played key roles in the House Speaker showdown last month. Mr. Buck joined with Democrats as one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, from the speakership.

Ms. Granger opposed Rep. Jim Jordan’s bid for speaker, and after three rounds of voting, the Ohio lawmaker withdrew from the race.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Oregon Democrat, also announced Monday that he will not seek reelection in 2024.

“It is a difficult decision,” said Mr. Blumenauer, 75. “Particularly after the amazing success of the last several years. But simply said, it is time to continue my life’s mission without the burden of day-to-day politics.”

The Oregon lawmaker who represents the state’s 3rd congressional district was first elected to the House in 1996. He is a member of the Ways and Means Committee, ranking member of the subcommittee on trade and a member of the subcommittee on health. He also serves as a senior Democrat on the Budget Committee.