Republican Rep. Ken Buck announced Tuesday that he will leave the House on March 22, moving up his existing retirement plans.

Buck’s decision will leave Republicans with a paltry 218 seats in the chamber, compared to Democrats’ 213, furthering Speaker Mike Johnson’s constant struggle to herd the House GOP and pass any legislation through regular order. Republicans can still only afford to lose two votes on any bill with united Democratic opposition, assuming full attendance.

Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Tuesday that he didn’t know about Buck’s departure plans shortly after the announcement, noting he is looking forward to talking to the Colorado Republican. A Buck spokesperson told POLITICO that Buck called Johnson about 30 minutes before the announcement went live and left a voicemail. The move caught many of Buck’s GOP colleagues by surprise.

“This place has just devolved into this bickering and nonsense,” the conservative Colorado Republican said in an interview on CNN shortly after his announcement. “It’s the worst year in 40, 50 years to be in Congress.”

There’s already a competitive primary to replace Buck in the red seat. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) jumped into that race for Colorado’s 4th congressional district and moved across the state after she narrowly won reelection by just several hundred votes in her current district in 2022. Asked if Buck’s announcement would shift her plans to run in his district, Boebert replied: “I’m running in the 4th.”

In Colorado, the governor is required to set a special election 85 to 100 days after the vacancy occurs. Candidates are nominated by the state party.

Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.

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