(Colorado Newsline) Former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg Thursday became the latest high-profile candidate to enter what could be a crowded Republican primary in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District next year.

“Rural Coloradans need a voice in Washington who understands our community, our principled conservative values, our way of life and our unique challenges,” Sonnenberg wrote in a campaign announcement.

Sonnenberg is a farmer and rancher from Sterling who served a combined 16 years in the Colorado state House and Senate — the maximum allowed under term limits — beginning in 2007, before winning election last year as a Logan County commissioner.

Colorado’s 4th District includes most of Colorado’s rural Eastern Plains, along with the suburbs of Douglas County and parts of Weld and Larimer counties. The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, a Windsor Republican who announced last month that he will not seek reelection to a sixth term in Congress, citing his party’s “lying” about the results of the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

With Republicans heavily favored in the district, the GOP primary will likely determine who wins the seat in the November 2024 general election. Other declared candidates include state Rep. Richard Holtorf of Akron, conservative radio host Deborah Flora, Trent Leisy and Justin Schreiber.

Holtorf is a conservative hardliner who had already floated a primary challenge against Buck, whom he faulted for his opposition to an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, prior to the five-term Republican’s announcement that he would step down.

On his campaign website, Sonnenberg touts endorsements from local elected officials and several veteran Colorado GOP leaders, including former Senate Minority Leader John Cooke and former Colorado House Speaker Frank McNulty. He names inflation, border security and opposing “unnecessary regulations” on Colorado’s oil and gas industry as his top policy priorities.

“The challenges facing our state and country are immense,” Sonnenberg said in a press release. “We need strong, conservative leadership in Congress to stand up and fight for people who’ve been left out of D.C.’s priorities.”

The 4th District primary election will be held on June 25, 2024.

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