Former Rep. Ken Buck’s alleged plot to keep Rep. Lauren Boebert from taking his seat in Colorado has come undone as Republicans chose a special election candidate who won’t run against her in the primary.

Instead of Buck’s retirement nixing Boebert, this apparently just gave her a boost toward getting elected. He exited Congress last week in what looks like an attempt to force Boebert into choosing between running in a special election to replace him or working toward winning the primary in his district. The move backfired on Thursday as Buck was out-maneuvered by Republicans in the state.

Boebert had announced previously that she would not run again in her district of Colorado 3 and would instead run in Colorado 4 to gain a “fresh start” after a number of personal problems and scandals that produced salacious headlines. It looks like Buck had hoped that another Republican would win the special election and then run against Boebert as an incumbent. That failed to happen.

A GOP panel shocked Colorado media outlets on Thursday night by choosing former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez to run as the Republican candidate in the special election. He was one of nine jostling for the position but only one of two who said they would not run for reelection. He will basically keep Boebert’s seat warm.

“Fmr Rep Ken Buck’s resignation bet backfired. A GOP committee didn’t pick the establishment successor to fill his seat until January, opting for a Rep Lauren Boebert-backed placeholder who isn’t challenging her for the GOP nomination in June.” Colorado anchor Kyle Clark posted on X.

Fmr Rep Ken Buck’s resignation bet backfired. A GOP committee didn’t pick the establishment successor to fill his seat until January, opting for a Rep Lauren Boebert-backed placeholder who isn’t challenging her for the GOP nomination in June. #CO4 #copolitics

— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) March 29, 2024

“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.”

“Greg knows a lot of people from when he ran for office,” Tom Wiens, who is the leader of the 4th District’s central committee, told the Denver Post in an interview. “He garnered a lot of goodwill from around the state. People knew him and trusted him.”

Boebert squeaked out a reelection win in 2022, and since then she has been in headline after headline concerning her husband, her son, and her own behavior.

The congresswoman is a staunch supporter of former President Trump. She fired off a letter to the panel that chose the special election candidate asking for a placeholder so it would not “influence the regular primary election in a way that would taint the entire process and give this candidate an unfair leg up.” Evidently, the panel listened to her and agreed.

Buck has denied plotting and planning against Boebert but his timing to retire looks suspicious to many Republicans. Boebert has accused him and “the establishment of concocting a swampy backroom deal to try to rig an election” against her.

Congratulations to Greg Lopez, who will be a strong Congressman finishing out the remainder of Ken BUCKLE’S term! Greg stepped up with a servant heart and a leadership mindset with accountability being his driving force.

THANK YOU to the Vacancy Committee members who have put…

— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) March 29, 2024

Boebert slammed Buck for suddenly departing Congress, saying, “Forcing an unnecessary special election on the same day as the primary election will confuse voters, result in a lame duck Congressman on day one, and leave the 4th District with no representation for more than three months,” the Denver Post reported.

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