Republican Rep. Ken Buck leaving office early — shrinking GOP House majority to 2

Colorado Republican Rep. Ken Buck will resign next week, making him the third party member to leave office before the end of the 118th Congress, his office announced Tuesday.

Buck, 65, said in a statement it was “an honor to serve the people of Colorado’s 4th District” for nearly five full terms, but he “will depart Congress” on March 22.

“I look forward to staying involved in our political process, as well as spending more time in Colorado and with my family,” he added, without revealing what role he would play.

In an interview minutes after the news broke, CNN’s Dana Bash asked Buck whether former President Donald Trump becoming the presumptive Republican presidential nominee informed his decision.

“I think our system is broken in how we choose candidates and I want to get involved in that process,” Buck told her.

“It is the worst year of the nine years and three months that I’ve been in Congress. And having talked to former members, it’s the worst year in 40 to 50 years to be in Congress.”

But the Colorado congressman has also been eyeing a job at CNN as an on-air commentator, The Post scooped in September.

“Could be his CNN contract is coming in sooner than expected,” one Hill source joked.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) also resigned before the end of their congressional terms.

With Buck out, House Republicans will have a 218-213 majority and three vacancies that will be filled by special elections before November.

House Democrats have only one vacancy to fill after Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) resigned on Feb. 2.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis must set a date for a special election that will determine Buck’s successor no later than 90 days before the general election.

Primary races for congressional seats in Colorado are currently scheduled for May 25.

Buck revealed he was retiring from office last November after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was unanimously voted in to lead the Republican conference.

Led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a group of eight Republicans — including Buck — voted with every House Democrat to remove McCarthy from the speakership on Oct. 3.

Buck held up several speaker nominees from winning the gavel that month, opting to vote instead for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota on each ballot.

He refused to vote for nominees who he said believed that the 2020 election was rigged — and later criticized Republicans for continuing to “rely on this lie that the 2020 election was stolen, and rely on the January 6th narrative, and the political prisoners from January 6th and other things.”

“If we’re going to solve difficult problems we got to deal with some very unpleasant truths — or lies — and make sure we project to the public what the truth is,” Buck said on MSNBC when announcing his retirement.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), who did not vote for McCarthy’s ouster, is running to succeed him, along with state Reps. Richard Holtorf and Mike Lynch, ex-radio host Deborah Flora and Logan County Commissioner and former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg.

The winner of the special election will likely gain an advantage as an incumbent over their Democratic or Republican challenger in November.