Democrat Jessica Killin in 5-point lead over Rep. Crank in Colorado Springs district

Democrat Jessica Killin as of Wednesday afternoon had a 5-point lead over Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank in the congressional district that’s centered on Colorado Springs.

Killin had about 51% of the vote over Crank’s 46% as of 3:20 p.m. Wednesday. These are preliminary figures and can change. The Associated Press estimated 80% of votes were counted since polls closed Tuesday. 

Her lead in a district that has only sent Republicans to Congress shows that voters are fed up with having a representative focused on hyperpartisanship and not constituents, she said, adding voters are also struggling to afford daily necessities like gas, groceries and healthcare. 

“People are sick and tired of the chaos and the corruption and lawlessness in Washington,” Killin told Newsline. “They want someone who’s going to be accountable and accessible, and who’s going to show up and listen and also focus on delivering real results for this community.”

Crank’s campaign did not respond to Newsline’s request for comment on the state of the race.

The 5th District is the only district in Colorado that has never sent a Democrat to Congress. National Democrats named the district as a top priority to flip this election.

Crank is a first-term member of Congress who won his seat in 2024 after former Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn retired. He won the seat with about 54.7% of the vote, continuing the perfect record of the district electing a Republican representative. 

Killin, an Army veteran former chief of staff to second gentleman Doug Emhoff, has drawn massive support from national Democrats who saw her candidacy as an opportunity to flip the 5th District seat. 

While Killin said it’s important to provide oversight and hold members of the Trump administration accountable, constituents care more about reversing the policies that have harmed them over the last two years, she said. That includes scaling back tariffs, working to make healthcare more affordable, incentivizing new housing in El Paso County and taking back the war power authority of Congress, she said. 

“I think what people really want is a Congress that actually delivers legislation and policies that make an impact on people’s lives,” Killin said. 

She wants to see ethics reform to restore integrity and trust in government, she said. People are unhappy that politicians focus too much on partisanship and not on public service, she said.

Killin said she would support House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to be speaker of the House. 

The AP has not yet called the race. Killin said she had not spoken to Crank.