Colorado 5th flips to Democrat Killin
Jessica Killin defeats incumbent Jeff Crank, ending 53 years of Republican control in the district.
By Lily Carter ·
Democrat Jessica Killin won Colorado’s 5th Congressional District on Tuesday, according to projections from Decision Desk HQ. The result ends a 53-year stretch of Republican representation in a seat that has never elected a Democrat since its creation in 1973.
Killin defeated incumbent Rep. Jeff Crank, an Army veteran and former chief of staff to former second gentleman Doug Emhoff. She ran on a platform focused on affordability, healthcare, and military families. Her campaign also targeted the administration’s decision to move the U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs to Alabama.
The race was expected to be competitive in the final weeks of the midterm cycle. The Cook Political Report changed its rating from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican” in September. Before the vote, Decision Desk HQ forecast a seven-point margin for the Republican candidate.
Crank, a former conservative radio host and executive at Americans for Prosperity, took office in 2024 after the retirement of Rep. Doug Lamborn. During his first term, he supported the party’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
President Trump carried the district by approximately nine percentage points in the 2024 election. Killin’s victory gives Democrats a key pickup in their effort to regain control of the House.
