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Jessica Killin Enters Race to Break GOP Hold on Colorado’s 5th District

She is banking on her ties to Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff to win over conservative suburban voters.

Colorado 5th Congressional District candidate Jessica Killin. (Photo provided by Jessica Killin campaign)

Overview

  • On July 15, Killin officially declared her 2026 bid to unseat freshman Republican Rep. Jeff Crank in the traditionally deep-red district
  • The 5th District’s GOP margin has narrowed from a 31-point win in 2016 to 14 points in 2024, prompting Democrats to view it as a battleground
  • Killin, 51, is an Army veteran who served as a paratrooper and captain on Balkan peacekeeping missions before senior staff roles for Doug Emhoff and at the White House
  • She casts herself as a centrist Democrat supporting abortion rights restoration, expanded health coverage and tougher immigration enforcement
  • Other Democrats in the primary include occupational therapist Zurit Horowitz and Army veteran Joe Reagan