Jessica Killin defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank in Colorado's 5th Congressional District, becoming the first Democrat to win the seat in its 54-year history.
The Associated Press called the race at 12:38 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, the Denver Post reported. As of 7 p.m. that day, Killin held 50.5% of the vote to Crank's 45.8%, with the AP estimating 99% of ballots had been counted.
The district, which represents Colorado Springs, Cimarron Hills and surrounding suburbs and military bases, had never elected a Democrat since it was created in 1973, according to Colorado Public Radio.
"This is just the start. We will make an even greater impact by finally delivering the representation this district deserves," Killin said in an emailed statement Thursday afternoon, according to the Denver Post.
The result caps a race that drew national attention. In 2024, Crank won the seat by 14 points, and President Donald Trump carried El Paso County by about 10 points that same year, the Colorado Sun reported. But heading into the 2026 midterms, the Cook Political Report shifted the district's rating from "Likely Red" to "Lean Red," according to CPR.
Killin, 53, is a former U.S. Army captain and Georgetown University Law Center graduate who served as chief of staff to former second gentleman Doug Emhoff, according to the Denver Post. A fourth-generation Coloradan, she grew up in Colorado Springs and ran on a platform she called "Team Normal," according to CPR.
She registered to vote in Colorado in July 2025 and launched her campaign around the same time, according to state records cited by the Colorado Sun. She won the Democratic primary in June by defeating fellow Army veteran Joe Reagan.
Crank, 59, was elected to Congress in 2024 after Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn decided not to seek reelection. He was born and raised in Pueblo and previously worked as a congressional staffer, political consultant and conservative radio host, according to the Colorado Sun.
The race was expensive. Through Oct. 14, Killin had raised more than $5.5 million, compared with more than $2.8 million for Crank, according to campaign finance reports cited by the Denver Post. The Colorado Sun reported more than $7 million in super PAC spending in the race, most of it benefiting Crank.
On election night at Killin's party in Colorado Springs, she told reporters she was "cautiously optimistic," the Colorado Sun reported. At Crank's party, also in Colorado Springs, the crowd thinned around 9 p.m. before being told to go home.
No concession statement from Crank appeared in any of the published reports as of Nov. 5.
Killin's victory also means Colorado's congressional delegation shifts further toward Democrats. Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans also lost his seat in the state's 8th Congressional District, according to the Denver Post.
