G.O.P.'s Buck Won't Seek Re-Election, Citing His Party's Election Denialism
Source: The New York Times
Representative Ken Buck, a conservative Colorado Republican who played a central role in ousting Kevin McCarthy from the speakership, said he will not seek re-election next year, citing his partys election denialism and many members refusal to condemn the Jan. 6. 2021, assault on the Capitol.
Mr. Buck, serving his fifth term from a sprawling district east of Denver after a career as a prosecutor, said he had decided to step aside because his differences with the contemporary Republican Party had grown too great to continue serving in its ranks. He condemned his partys reluctance to take on big issues and said it had badly damaged itself with voters.
We lost our way, said Mr. Buck, 64, who announced his intentions in interviews and a video news release. We have an identity crisis in the Republican Party. If we cant address the election denier issue and we continue down that path, we wont have credibility with the American people that we are going to solve problems.
His announcement followed one earlier Wednesday by Representative Kay Granger, Republican of Texas and chair of the Appropriations Committee, who said she also would not run again next year. She too played a prominent role in the speaker showdown. Others are likely to follow suit given the chaos that has engulfed the Republican-led House.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/01/us/politics/ken-buck-election-republicans.html
brush
(61,033 posts)from that dumpster fire of a party. Hope more follow also from a party that still hasn't expelled liar/crook George Santos.
Miguelito Loveless
(5,333 posts)They just now they will be primaried and are sparing themselves ignominious defeat.
ColinC
(11,098 posts)They know this party is a ticking shit bomb
brush
(61,033 posts)ColinC
(11,098 posts)Retirements are a minor indicator of who will control congress next term
Diamond_Dog
(39,033 posts)JoseBalow
(8,882 posts)Comfortably_Numb
(4,188 posts)patphil
(8,462 posts)Neither is running for reelection.
Buck says the party has lost it's way, but voted for a Speaker that has wandered way deep into darkness under the guise of being "deeply religious".
Granger, who is 80, cites age as the reason for not running again.
Neither of these two had anything to lose by holding out for a better candidate. Besides, Johnson would have won anyway since he got 220 votes, and 218 would have still elected him.
So what we have here are two Republicans who supported Johnson even when they didn't have to. They did it because they wanted to. They either didn't care about his position on issues, or held similar positions.
Typical of Republicans in the House.
hibbing
(10,491 posts)When has this party ever taken on big issues outside of tax cuts for the ruling class and ever expanding military budget? Or does he just mean not getting around to cutting Social Security, ACA, Medicare and Medicaid?
Peace
quakerboy
(14,611 posts)Thats rather interesting.
I wonder what arms got twisted to get the republicans to line up and back the new boss.
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)R+15. Likely go to another MAGA Republican.
Rebl2
(17,172 posts)going to ask if a democrat could pick up that seat. Guess not.
donheld
(21,330 posts)He represents one of the reddest parts of Colorado. It includes Weld County, which has toyed with the idea of seceding from Colorado because it's too blue.
Warpy
(114,168 posts)Colorado's following NM and turning bluer by the year. Maybe his district will take leave of its senses and vote a Democrat in.
madamesilverspurs
(16,424 posts)Failing upward (as GOPers are wont to do) he became DA, a job at which he sucked. During his DA tenure he failed rape victims, violated the constitutional rights of Hispanics (for which he was smacked by the state supreme court), illegally deported Hispanic workers at a meat plant in a questionable raid that he'd helped engineer . . . tip of the Buck iceberg. Before failing upward to congress, his very unsavory racist and misogynist record was and still is easily available to anyone willing to look.
Have you noticed how much airtime he's getting on media lately? Much as we might like to believe that he's suddenly grown a conscience, he's actually auditioning for a talking head job with any mainstream media willing to overlook his dismal record. As for Colorado's deep red CD4, he'll likely be replaced by yet another GOP cow pie.
Grins
(9,074 posts)Gave her a job in which she abundantly failed.