Jessica Killin Flips Colorado's 5th District, First Democrat to Win the Seat

Democrat Jessica Killin has won Colorado's 5th Congressional District, defeating incumbent Republican Representative Jeff Crank and becoming the first Democrat — and the first woman — ever to represent the Colorado Springs seat since the district was created in the early 1970s.

The Associated Press called the race on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 12:38 p.m. ET. With about 94 percent counted, Killin led 140,713 votes (50.56 percent) to Crank's 127,946 (45.98 percent). Later returns widened her lead to about 14,524 votes, 50.52 percent to 45.80 percent, with more than 95 percent reported. Crank called to concede.

Key Points

• The Associated Press called Colorado's 5th District for Democrat Jessica Killin on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
• Killin is the first Democrat — and the first woman — ever to win the Colorado Springs seat.
• With more than 95 percent reported, she led Rep. Jeff Crank by about 14,524 votes, 50.52 percent to 45.80 percent; Crank called to concede.
• Killin, 53, is an Army veteran and former paratrooper, former chief of staff to Doug Emhoff, and a first-time candidate on a "Team Normal" platform.
• Crank won the seat in 2024 with about 54.7 percent; Trump carried the district by 9 points in 2024.

What Happened

The call came two days after Election Day, as late-counted ballots in El Paso County steadily widened Killin's lead. At 94 percent counted she was ahead by 12,767 votes; past 95 percent, the margin had grown to about 14,524. Crank then called to concede, her campaign said.

Killin outraised Crank by nearly two to one, bringing in $5.6 million, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee listed the district as "in play" in February — the first time it had ever done so for Colorado's 5th. She said the win was a repudiation of Crank's support for President Donald Trump, pointing to the Iran war, tariffs and the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

Background and Context

Colorado's 5th District is centred on Colorado Springs and El Paso County, a military town in every sense. The district has five military installations, and veterans, service members and their families make up about a third of its population. Unaffiliated voters account for 53 percent of the El Paso County electorate — one of the rare Republican-leaning districts where independents, not partisans, decide elections.

That profile kept the seat in Republican hands for half a century. Crank won it in 2024 with about 54.7 percent, and Trump carried it by 9 points the same year; before this week, no Democrat had ever won it and no woman had ever represented it. The race was fought against the wider 2026 midterms, in which Democrats swept both chambers of Congress on November 3 — in Colorado, Manny Rutinel also flipped the 8th District, ousting first-term Republican Gabe Evans on election night.

How Jessica Killin Won Colorado's 5th District

Killin, 53, brought a biography that fit the district: Army veteran and former paratrooper, later chief of staff to Doug Emhoff, the former second gentleman, before returning to Colorado to run for Congress for the first time. Her campaign leaned on that record — a veteran promising practical, unflashy representation — and on a fundraising advantage that let her compete across the district for months.

The money gap mattered. Killin's $5.6 million haul was nearly double Crank's. The February decision to put the seat on the Democratic target list drew outside spending and volunteers into a race that, in any other year, would have been a safe Republican hold.

Her message was aimed at the district's unaffiliated majority. Killin argued that Crank's loyalty to President Trump — on the Iran war, on tariffs and on the Epstein scandal — had put him out of step with a community that prizes service and steadiness over partisan combat. In a district where a third of residents have a direct military connection, she presented herself as the candidate who understood that life from the inside. Crank campaigned as a reliable conservative voice for the military community, but the midterm tide ran against Republicans nationwide, and in Colorado Springs it erased a 9-point Trump margin from 2024.

Reactions and Quotes

Killin's campaign said Crank called to concede after the Associated Press call, closing the race without the drawn-out dispute that marked several other 2026 contests. Killin framed the result as a verdict on Crank's record in Washington, saying voters had rejected his support for the president's agenda.

Why It Matters

The flip matters first because of where it happened. Colorado Springs is one of the most military-heavy cities in America, and its congressional seat had been a Republican fixture since the district's creation. A Democratic win there suggests the 2026 midterm wave reached well beyond the suburban swing districts where Democrats usually gain ground, into communities that had seemed structurally out of reach.

It matters, too, because of who won it and who decided it. Killin is the first woman to represent the district. With unaffiliated voters at 53 percent of El Paso County's electorate, her win was decided by independents, not Democratic turnout alone — and her "Team Normal" pitch, steady and practical, was built for exactly those voters.

What Happens Next

Killin will take her seat when the new Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2027, joining the Democratic House majority voters delivered on November 3. She will represent a district with five military installations, and her early agenda is likely to reflect her military background and her campaign issues — support for service members and veterans, and scrutiny of the administration's handling of the Iran war, tariffs and the Epstein scandal. Crank's defeat, two years after he won the district with nearly 55 percent, will be studied as a measure of how far the midterm backlash travelled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Jessica Killin?
Killin, 53, is an Army veteran and former paratrooper, former chief of staff to ex-second gentleman Doug Emhoff, and a first-time candidate on a "Team Normal" platform. She is the first Democrat — and the first woman — ever to represent Colorado's 5th District.

When was the race called?
The Associated Press called it for Killin on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 12:38 p.m. ET, two days after Election Day.

What was the margin?
About 14,524 votes, 50.52 percent to 45.80 percent, with more than 95 percent reported. Crank called to concede.

Why is the win historic?
No Democrat had ever won the district since its creation in the early 1970s, and no woman had ever represented the Colorado Springs seat. Trump carried it by 9 points in 2024.

What is the district like?
Centred on Colorado Springs and El Paso County, it has five military installations; veterans, service members and their families make up about a third of the population, and unaffiliated voters are 53 percent of the electorate.

Related coverage: Manny Rutinel flips Colorado's 8th District, ousting Rep. Gabe Evans, Katherine Clark to become first woman House majority leader as Jeffries backs her and Cook Political Report shifts 14 races toward Democrats before midterms.