Rep. Ken Buck Reports Flurry of Death Threats in Wake of Speakership Fight

[Photo Credit: By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Ken Buck, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56673321]

The internal battle within the House GOP over choosing the new Speaker has now apparently led to death threats, according to Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), the newest member of Congress to report such threats.

In an interview with NBC on Thursday, Buck said that his office had received four death threats as a result of his opposition to Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-Ohio) bid for Speaker.

Buck cast his vote for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) on both of this week’s Speaker ballots.

Additionally, Buck said that his landlord had evicted him from his office due to his opposition to Jordan.

Reps. Don Bacon (Neb.), Drew Ferguson (Ga.), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Iowa) all reported receiving threats for opposing Jordan.

In the second vote on the Speaker on Wednesday, 22 Republicans opposed Jordan, two more than the 20 who did so on the first. He received 199 votes, down one from the day before.

In order to be elected Speaker with all 433 members present, he needs 217 votes on the floor. On Friday, a third vote is anticipated.

Buck, one of eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to remove previous Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), said in the interview that Jordan should give up trying to be the House’s leader.

[READ MORE: Jim Jordan Announces His intention to Run for Speaker Again in Spite of Reports to the Contrary]