Dem
51
GOP
49
The sudden resignation from Congress by former representative Ken Buck of Colorado triggered a special election to fill out the rest of Buck's term. Colorado law states that for special elections, the parties pick their candidates. There are no primaries. Last Thursday, the Colorado Republican Party picked Greg Lopez, the former mayor of Parker, CO, as their nominee. It doesn't matter who the Democratic Party picks because the district, CO-04, is R+13, so Lopez will win the June special election no matter who the Democrats pick.
If he had faced a competitive primary or competitive general election, Lopez might not have been an ideal candidate. He has had multiple run-ins with the police in the past, including one involving domestic violence against his wife, and a DUI. Since there is no primary and CO-04 is R+13, he can already add: "Served in Congress for 6 months" to his resume.
On the same date as the special election, there will be primaries for the regular election for the 2-year term starting in January. Lopez said he will not be a candidate for a full term. This is good news for Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO). She currently represents CO-03, where she would face a serious Democrat who almost beat her in 2022, so she switched to CO-04, where she is not well known. If Lopez had said he will also compete in the primary for a full term, he might have been the favorite due to the extra publicity he is getting now. (V)
Answer to quiz above. The first quote is from Biden, the second is from Trump. Surprise!