Representative Lauren Boebert is calling foul on a panel of Colorado Republicans who will soon select a candidate to replace Representative Ken Buck.
Buck abruptly resigned earlier in March, citing what he describes as the “bickering and nonsense” currently prevalent in Congress. He left his seat on March 22nd.
A panel will now choose a replacement to carry out the last few months of his term, likely from one of the current Republican candidates who are currently competing for the seat.
Whoever they choose is expected to easily win the eventual special election against the Democrat nominee. The district overwhelmingly supported former President Donald Trump in 2020.
Boebert, who won narrowly against Democrat Adam Frisch, decided to abandon her district so a more competitive Republican could take her place, aiming to give the party a better chance to keep the seat.
Instead, she will run in Buck’s district, a safer option given her bombastic character and sharp-right politics.
However, she must serve out her term in her current district before she begins her new campaign, which means the panel can not choose her to fill Buck’s seat in the interim, giving one of her opponents a considerable leg up.
Boebert is taking personal offense to the circumstance.
“The establishment concocted a swampy backroom deal to try to rig an election,” she said.
“Ken Buck really threw a wrench into the whole thing,” said Seth Masket, director at the Center on American Politics in Denver. “It was already a fairly topsy-turvy race, but I think this does make it a little bit harder for her.”
The panel will reportedly consider nine candidates for the position, including former state lawmakers, officials, and former state House Minority Leader Mike Lynch.
That person will ultimately need a simple majority of 50 votes of the 98 cast to claim Buck’s seat.
