Democrat Jessica Killin unseated Republican U.S. Representative Jeff Crank in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District in what’s likely to be one of the most notable Democratic wins in the nation this year.
The Associated Press called the race for Killin at 12:38 p.m. on Thursday, two days after polls closed, when Killin was leading Crank by nearly 5 percentage points, 50.6%-46%. In third place was Libertarian Candidate Mark Elworth Jr., with 1.8% of the vote.
Voters in the 5th District have not sent a Democrat to Washington, D.C., in the 54 years since it was created. In 2024, Crank beat his Democratic challenger by 14 points, and President Donald Trump won El Paso County two years ago by about 10 points.
But the district, one considered one of the nation’s Republican strongholds, has been trending toward Democrats in recent years and both parties thought the right Democratic candidate at the right time could win.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colorado Springs, leaves the House Republican Conference caucus meeting at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington on May 13, 2026. (Credit Image: © Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via ZUMA Press)
Killin said Thursday the win felt “surreal.”
“This is not a safe district any longer; it’s a tough district, and I intend to fight for the constituents of this district every single day,” she said, vowing to hold quarterly, in-person town halls.
Killin said her top priorities are “figuring out a way out on the Iran War,” “addressing the Trump tariffs” and “shoring up our healthcare system.”
Political prognosticators rated the race as increasingly competitive in recent weeks amid President Donald Trump’s unpopularity and voters’ concerns about rising prices, particularly at the gas pump.
“I’m normally an independent, but this year was real easy for me — I voted Democrat,” Alex Steadman, 60, who was dropping off his ballot on Election Day in Colorado Springs.
Steadman, a carpenter and general contractor, said his vote for Killin was more about a repudiation of Republicans than an endorsement of her.
“The economy is hurting me — the price of gasoline, the price of groceries,” said Frederick McDaniel, a 74-year-old Democrat, in an interview at a senior center in Colorado Springs. He voted for Killin.
“I remember a year, year and a half ago, getting a lot of food, for me, cost $40. The other day it was $88.”
On election night, Killin took an early lead over Crank and never ceded it.
“My entire life has been talking to people who may have disagreements with me on different issues and finding common ground,” she said at her election night watch party on Tuesday in Colorado Springs. “That is what we need more of in Congress. We need people who are actually putting people over partisanship and the people have spoken. They want someone who’s actually going to deliver for them.”
Crank never addressed supporters at his watch party as the results came in and his reelection chances looked increasingly grim.
The 5th District race was the second most expensive congressional race in Colorado this year, following the race in the perennially competitive 8th Congressional District north of Denver, with more than $7 million in super PAC spending, most of it to benefit Crank.
Much of the money spent to defend the congressman came from groups tied to Trump. Killin was backed by national Democrats in the form of spending from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the House Majority PAC, a group linked to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York.
The candidates raised a lot of money, too. Through Oct. 14, Crank reported raising about $3 million for his reelection bid and spending about $2.5 million. Killin had raised about $5.6 million through mid-October, including more than $1 million in personal funds she gave to her campaign. She had spent roughly $5 million of that.
Democratic congressional candidate Jessica Killin speaks to voters at rally in Colorado Springs on Oct. 24, 2026. (Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun)
Killin grew up in Colorado Springs before leaving to serve in the Army. She then became a lawyer, worked as a lobbyist for the United Services Automobile Association, and went on to serve as chiefs of staff to two Democratic members of Congress.
Most recently, Killin was chief of staff to Doug Emhoff, the husband of then-Vice President Kamala Harris. During Killin’s time in the White House, where her rank was deputy assistant to President Joe Biden.
State records show Killin registered to vote in Colorado in July 2025. She launched her campaign around the same time.
On the campaign trail, Killin touted her military service but focused most of her messaging on criticizing Crank and the congressman’s connections to Trump.
Killin’s military background resonated with Emi Ceja, 37, an operations manager in Colorado Springs, who said he has many friends who have served in the military.
“She’s a veteran, compared to Jeff Crank, just being a government official,” Ceja said as he voted in downtown Colorado Springs for Killin.
Crank was born and raised in Pueblo. He held local and national leadership positions at the conservative nonprofit Americans for Prosperity and was a local conservative radio commentator.
Crank ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2006 and 2008. In the 1990s, he was a staffer for Republican U.S. Rep. Joel Hefley, who held the 5th District seat, before taking a job with the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce.
Crank won his first congressional election in 2024 after Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn decided not to run for another term.
His campaign focused on the tax cuts he voted for as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year, and spent most of his time attacking Killin’s background.
In a written statement Thursday, Killin vowed to be an accountable and accessible member of Congress.
“I want you to know how deeply committed and resolved I am to represent you in a way this congressional district has not seen for far too long… maybe ever,” she said. “To every resident of Colorado’s 5th District, whether you voted for me or not: I commit to listening to you and working for you.”
Colorado Sun editor Lance Benzel contributed to this report.
Type of Story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.