Local Politics · Colorado Springs, CO
Veteran Candidates Challenge Incumbents in Colorado's 5th Congressional District Race
Democrat Jessica Killin, a retired Army captain from Colorado Springs, is challenging first-term Republican Rep. Jeff Crank in Colorado's 5th Congressional District, which includes Fort Carson, the Air Force Academy, and NORAD. The district, where Trump won by 9 points and roughly one in nine residents is a veteran, is receiving Democratic investment for the first time in years amid public frustration over the Iran war and changes in military leadership. Killin's campaign highlights Crank voting with Trump 100% of the time, while Crank cites his call to a fallen soldier's father at Fort Carson as evidence he represents district values. Similar veteran-vs-veteran races are underway in Virginia's 2nd, South Carolina's 1st, and Florida's 7th and 13th Congressional Districts.