Democrat Jessica Killin criticizes Rep. Jeff Crank’s record in first debate

Democrat Jessica Killin repeatedly criticized U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank’s attitude toward the war in Iran during a debate Thursday night, as Crank repeated that he thinks President Donald Trump should have sought congressional approval before military action.

“The fact is, President Trump, with your approval, went into war with Iran without consulting allies and without consulting Congress,” Killin said. “That is your job as a member of Congress — to put a check on this.”

“People elected him to provide oversight over the executive branch, and he’s failed to do that. We are now less safe,” she said.

Crank, the incumbent Republican representative, said that he will not vote to “pull the rug” out from under American troops involved in the conflict, which began in late February and has extended months beyond the amount of time Trump initially said the war would last. Crank voted against a measure in June meant to direct Trump to withdraw troops or win congressional approval.

“It’s been the same during the Trump administration as it was during the Obama administration. The president should come to Congress and seek approval before they commit troops to war,” Crank said. “President Trump chose not to do that here. He should have.”

Crank and Killin are competing to represent Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, covering Colorado Springs, in the November midterm election.

They faced off in a televised debate hosted at the Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs by The Gazette, Colorado Politics, KOAA News and the El Pomar Foundation. It was followed by a debate between Democrat Phil Weiser and unaffiliated Greg Lopez, who are two of three candidates vying for the governor’s seat. Republican Victor Marx did not participate in that debate.

Changes to Medicaid, immigration reform

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 longtime norm of the district electing a Republican representative.

This year, however, national Democrats see the seat as in play. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee views Killin’s candidacy as an opportunity to flip the district, and is seeking donations to support her campaign. Her campaign has raised close to $2.5 million so far this election cycle, compared to Crank’s approximately $1.7 million.

Killin was an Army captain and paratrooper, and most recently worked as chief of staff to former second gentleman Doug Emhoff. She also worked for over a decade as an executive at the insurance company USAA.

Though she grew up in Colorado Springs, Crank characterized her as an outsider to the community.

“This election is a choice between a middle class neighbor who shares your struggles and someone who spent the last 25 years in Washington, D.C,” he said.

Crank defended upcoming changes to Medicaid work requirements set to go into effect next year. He voted for the 2025 bill, known as H.R. 1, or the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, that enacted them. Most able-bodied people on Medicaid will need to work, volunteer or attend school at least 20 hours per week.

“In Colorado, the problem with Medicaid is that the Legislature here has expanded it so wide that the people who really need it — the people with disabilities and the people with children who have disabilities — are competing with 35-year-old people sitting on their couch who want to be lazy,” he said. “That is wrong.”

Killin said there needs to be a “full overhaul” of the health insurance system.

“When I talk to families, they are already hurting on their health care costs,” she said, pointing to rising insurance premiums across the board in the state. “The provisions of this bill are only harming working families, and making life more expensive for Coloradans.”

On immigration, Killin said Congress needs to put more guidelines on how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates as it detains and removes people who lack permanent legal status from the country.

“I am glad that we now have a safe and secure border. I also think we must make sure we prioritize deporting dangerous criminals,” she said. “But that has not been happening with ICE. They’ve killed American citizens, and they’re deporting grandmas, not gangsters.”

She said she would support immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship as part of a “working legal system, so it doesn’t take 30 years to become a United States citizen.”

Crank agreed that ICE should not be “chasing after grandmas and folks like that,” but enforcing existing law.

“But this is the rule of law,” he said. “If you are here illegally and you are a violent criminal, you should be out of here.”

Both Crank and Killin said they support a congressional stock trade ban, as well as term and upper-age limits for members of Congress.