DENVER (AP) — Rep. Ken Buck's early departure from the U.S. House prompted a special election to fill the remainder of his term.
A Colorado Republican committee on Thursday will select their candidate for the special election, and is expected to pick one of the primary candidates already running to replace Buck in 2024.
WATCH: Colorado Representative Ken Buck announces his retirement
That race includes the far-right Rep. Lauren Boebert, though the congresswoman is finishing her current term and is not seeking to run in the special election.
WATCH: Who's running in Colorado's 4th Congressional District
Whoever the committee picks as the Republican candidate for the special election would likely receive a campaign boost in the primary race.
A vacancy committee will meet at 5 p.m. in Hugo, Colorado at the Lincoln County Event Center, where 111 members will select the GOP candidate to run in the special election.
Hugo is a small town of less than 1,000 people on the eastern plains, about 90 min. northeast of Colorado Springs. Geographically, it's near the center of the vast 4th Congressional District, which also includes Douglas County and portions of Weld and Larimer Counties.
Many have expressed their desire to fill Buck's vacant seat, but ultimately, it's up to the vacancy committee to select the candidate.
Democrats will select their nominee during an online convention on April 1.
According to documents posted online, the vacancy committee consists of delegates from CD4 counties and other elected officials and 4th Congressional District committee members.
Gov. Jared Polis announced the special election will occur the same day as the primary on June 25.
Secretary of State Jena Griswold issued an election order on March 23, a day after Buck's departure, detailing how the special election will be handled.
Both the primary and special election races will appear on the same ballot. The vacancy election will be the last race listed and will have "sufficient visual separation and graphical delineation" to avoid confusion for voters.
KOAA5's Brett Forrest contributed to this report.
Email Senior Reporter Brett Forrest at brett.forrest@koaa.com. Follow @brettforrestTVon X and Brett Forrest News on Facebook.
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