Colorado Dems seek to flip longtime GOP congressional seat

Two Democrats - Jessica Killin and Joe Reagan - are vying to take on the district’s Republican incumbent, U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, for the November general election. The candidates are debating the economy, government accountability and veterans’ rights. The winner of Tuesday's Democratic primary will face Crank, who's running unopposed in the primary, on Nov. 3.

Voters in the 5th Congressional District, which sprawls out around the greater Colorado Springs area, have never sent a Democratic representative to the U.S. House.

It’s a perfect streak for the state Republican Party - and one that Crank will look to hold onto following his first term in office. 

While Crank did not respond to The Center Square's request for an interview, his campaign has emphasized his work in Congress and put a focus on housing affordability, wildfire prevention and the expansion of services for veterans.

“The American dream of homeownership is out of reach for many Americans," Crank said in a statement after his vote in favor of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The bill aimed to increase affordable housing across the U.S., but was recently shot down by President Donald Trump.

"Republicans are committed to bridging the gap to make homeownership more affordable," Crank said. "By passing the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, we are reducing regulation and increasing the housing supply, helping to make homeownership achievable for Americans across the country."

His two Democratic competitors, both Army veterans, have agreed on a range of issues, but have seen varying success from endorsements and campaign contributions.

Killin led the primary in political endorsements and campaign contributions. Formerly the chief of staff for multiple Congress members and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, she has swept endorsements from the state’s Democratic Congress members.

For campaign funds, Killin has brought in over $2.7 million. Over $500,000 was self-funded, with nearly 3,000 separate contributions of up to $7,000 coming from ActBlue Political Action Committee, a Democratic fundraising platform that processes donations from individuals. 

That’s more than Crank’s funds so far at nearly $2 million. Major donors included over $200,000 from the Colorado Conservative Victory Fund and $100,000 from the Crank Victory Fund PAC, both of which listed Jason Young as their committee treasurer.

The other Democrat, Reagan, trails his opponents with $277,000 in campaign funds. Major contributors included $145,000 in self-made loans and a series of individual contributions, such as $7,000 from donor Charles Murphy.

But Reagan argued that his campaign is more true to the district’s candidates and that it had punched above its weight despite the party and financial preference for Killin.

“I'm not a party insider. I mean, the party has literally endorsed against me in this primary,” Reagan told The Center Square. “I'm looking to bring a perspective that is not just about being for the Democratic Party.”

Both candidates have centered their campaigns around the cost of living in the district, calling out high health care prices and housing costs. “If we can help our veterans by providing additional health resources through the VA, then that allows our private health system to focus on the rest of our community members and give them access to care as well,” Reagan said.

The Democratic candidates have also argued for increased government accountability, calling out moves by the Trump administration as misleading to voters, and for a higher focus on local issues.

“You have to be courageous, and you also have to stand up for policies that are not working for your community,” Killin told The Center Square. “Jeff Crank has failed again and again to stand up for our community. He is only focused on his fealty to Donald Trump. People are recognizing that that is not healthy – not healthy for our economy,4 and not healthy for our democracy.” 

El Paso County, which makes up most of Colorado’s 5th District, has over 15% military veterans – roughly three times that of the U.S. average, according to Census Reporter. All three candidates have emphasized their military connections and advocated for expanded veteran protections and benefits. 

“[Crank and] the Pentagon have cut childcare funding for DOD (Department of Defense) child care funding centers,” said Killin.

Military-provided child care has been criticized since before Trump’s second term, according to Capital and Main's reporting, but the most recently proposed Pentagon budget includes little relief.

“That's exacerbated the child care problems here in that the DOD child care centers are only available to dual-military families," Killin said. "If you're a specialist with two kids, you need your spouse to work here to survive. If you don't have affordable high quality child care, it's really hard to do that.”

With the changing climate and increased risk of wildfires in Colorado, the state remains outmatched on resources to battle wildfires, according to research by Colorado State University. candidates in the 5th District have called for more action by the federal government to prevent damaging fires and help people who have been affected.

Several wildfires were burning Monday in four Colorado counties - Custer, Dolores, Mesa, Lake and Ouray. The biggest fire is the Snyder Fire, which crossed into Colorado from Utah and has burned over 28,000 acres. Three firefighters died Saturday while responding to the Knowles Fire, the U.S. Department of Interior reported. The Knowles Fire became part of the Snyder Fire.

“Many of our residential communities are prone to wildfires,” said Reagan. “So when you look at an administration that has cut back on how we support public lands, how we make sure that we are being good stewards of public lands – this has a direct impact on our ability to have safe communities. When you have these communities that are adjacent to the public lands, if they're not being properly maintained, it increases our wildfire risk.”

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 30, Election Day. For more information visit the Secretary of State’s website, coloradosos.gov/pubs/elections. Early election results will be published on that evening at www.thecentersquare.com/colorado.