Former mayor picked as GOP nominee to replace Ken Buck

Former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez was selected as the Colorado Republican nominee to replace Congressman Ken Buck (R-Colo.). Lopez will be on the June 25 special election ballot to fill in the rest of the Buck’s term. 

Lopez, a former 2018 and 2022 gubernatorial candidate, was chosen Thursday night by a Colorado Republican panel after getting 51 votes, while Logan County Commissioner Jerry Sonnenberg got 46 votes, according to the Denver Post. 

Lopez won in the race of candidates for the spot. The vote took place in Hugo, Colo.

“I am not looking to run for office, and I am looking to only fulfill the last six months of this term,” Lopez said, according to Colorado Public Radio. “Tonight, it's not about giving an individual advantage over their competition.”

Democrats will nominate their candidate for the special election on Monday, and faces an uphill battle in the GOP-leaning 4th Congressional District. 

“Greg knows a lot of people from when he ran for office,” Tom Wiens, leader of the 4th District’s central committee, said on Thursday, according to the outlet. “He garnered a lot of goodwill from around the state. People knew him and trusted him.”

Buck retired from Congress on March 22.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) set the special election on the same day as the primary. 

Hard-right Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), who represents the 3rd Congressional District, decided late last year she would run for Buck’s seat after he said he would not be seeking reelection. She opted not to run in the special election, but will compete in the June primary.