Colorado House Republican Leader Mike Lynch says his concern about the caliber of representation in Congress prompted his decision to throw his own hat in the ring.

Just a week after U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert announced she’s ditching her competitive reelection bid to seek another term in the heavily Republican 4th Congressional District, Lynch said Wednesday he’s joining the crowded GOP primary field to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, a Windsor Republican.

“For the same reason I ever got into this business is that I was sick of idiots freaking representing me in the different levels,” Lynch said in an interview with Colorado Politics before declaring his candidacy. “That’s kind of a core thing of why I even do any of this.”

Conceding that his idealism might be “old school,” Lynch, a West Point graduate and small business owner serving his second term in the legislature, added, “I believe that you’ve got to know what you’re doing, and I’ve spent the last three years doing that – figuring out how to legislate. I’ve done it. You know, unfortunately, right now, there’s also a secondary need, which is to bring some stability to the dadgum Republicans in the state.”

Lynch’s entry into the primary brings to 11 the number of Republicans running in the district, which is anchored by Douglas County and covers the state’s Eastern Plains, including parts of Larimer and Weld counties, and ranks as the most solid GOP seat in the state.

Unlike Boebert’s bombshell last week, Lynch’s announcement isn’t a surprise. He’s been mentioned among the leading contenders to succeed Buck since the former prosecutor said in early November that he wouldn’t seek a sixth term.

“Quite frankly, there’s nobody else in the race – if there was somebody that I was like, wowser, I would be proud to have this person representing me in Congress, I’d step out of it and go back to doing what I’ve been doing, which is being the minority leader,” said Lynch, who lives in Wellington in Larimer County, near Loveland.

“You know, it’s really easy to go with, ‘The world’s on fire!’ and (similar) scare tactics,” he added. “It’s not that, it’s about having good people in office, and I’d like to think that I’m one of those, and want to take those skills to DC, as well.”

In addition to Boebert, Lynch’s primary rivals include former state Sens. Jerry Sonnenberg and Ted Harvey, state Rep. Richard Holtorf, talk radio host Deborah Flora, Weld County Council member Trent Leisy, former congressional nominee Peter Yu and first-time candidates Justin Schreiber, Mariel Bailey and Chris Phelen. Three Democrats and an assortment of unaffiliated and third-party candidates are also running in the district.

Lynch said he intends to serve out his term at the statehouse.

He wants to bring his perspective as an Army Infantry veteran to Colorado’s congressional delegation.

“The world is a very dangerous place, perhaps the most dangerous for democracy in two generations,” he said in a statement. “Congress must have elected men and women serving who understand the high price America pays for our freedom.”

Noting that his son is in his first year at West Point, Lynch added, “Our nation pays a steep price for the liberty and freedom we cherish, with the blood of our children. We must never underestimate the sacrifices made by our youngest and brightest, who valiantly defend our great country.”

Lynch’s top priorities in Congress would mirror his work in the legislature, where he’s played a key role crafting laws aimed at taking on the fentanyl crisis.

“Fentanyl has become a major threat to our state and our country,” Lynch said. “As a father and a leader, I cannot sit back and watch as our families and communities are torn apart by this deadly substance. I am determined to put an end to this crisis and protect the people of Colorado and our nation from this ever-increasing threat.”

The son of a forest ranger, Lynch said he has a keen interest in overseeing the federal government’s role managing Colorado’s national forests and other public lands.

“Dealing with Forest Service issues was a dinner topic, and there’s a lot of work to be done on the national level to make sure that we’re doing the right things here in Colorado with our forests,” Lynch said.

He said he wants to make sure “that those agencies are held accountable and actually share the views of the people that live in that district. Because at the end of the day, it’s public land, and they need to be able to utilize that how they want to, whether that’s grazing rights or oil and gas exploration.”

As for reflecting the sprawling district – one of the largest in the country, its 21 counties cover land roughly the size of Connecticut – Lynch said he understands both its diversity and what drives its economy.

“The biggest thing that impacts that district is the regulation on the oil and gas industry,” Lynch said. “The state has done all it can to try to shut that down, but I’ve got to make sure that the feds don’t pile on to the destruction of that economy.”

Lynch said that running Loveland-based Western Heritage – the family-owned business manufactures and sells custom cast belt buckles, apparel and commemorative coins and badges to Forest Service and other federal employees – bolsters his perspective.

“The thing that is the scariest about this is the enormity of this district and the diversity of the district,” he said with a laugh. “I mean, you’ve got folks in Highlands Ranch whose interests are way different than those over in Baca or Sedgwick County. But I enjoy that, because I’m a guy that lives a rural life, however, runs a small business in the middle of a town, so I think I’ve got a unique perspective, that I can best represent that district.”

Republican primary candidates in the 4th and 8th congressional districts are scheduled to debate for the first time on Jan. 25 in Fort Lupton at an event sponsored by the Republican Women of Weld and the Lincoln Club of Colorado.

Precint caucuses take place during the first week of March, and Colorado’s primary election is June 25.