2026 Colorado's 5th Congressional District Election
Compare candidates’ positions, polling, and sourced race updates.
About this race
Colorado's 5th Congressional District, centered on Colorado Springs and El Paso County, elects one member of the U.S. House and has never sent a Democrat to Congress since the seat was created in 1972. First-term Republican Rep. Jeff Crank faces Democratic nominee Jessica Killin, along with American Constitution Party nominee Christopher Mitchell, Libertarian nominee Mark Elworth Jr. and unaffiliated write-in candidate Steven Fuller, in the November 3 general election.
The historically Republican district has drawn unusual national attention in 2026, with both parties investing heavily for the first time after Killin outraised Crank and released a campaign-sponsored July poll showing them statistically tied; Crank, a former radio host and Americans for Prosperity executive who won the seat by about 14 points in 2024, and Killin, an Army veteran and former chief of staff to then-Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, debated on August 27 and September 18.
October voter guides from the Denver Gazette, Denver Post and Monument Independent show the two major-party candidates contrasting on housing costs, tariffs, immigration enforcement and oversight of the Trump administration.
Candidates
Tick Compare on two or more cards to see them side by side.
Jeff Crank is the first-term Republican U.S. representative for Colorado's 5th Congressional District and is seeking reelection in 2026. Before entering Congress, he worked as a radio host and an executive with Americans for Prosperity; he serves on the House Armed Services and Natural Resources committees. In October voter guides he emphasized lowering housing costs by reducing regulations, building on the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, and keeping missions and jobs at local military installations.
Jessica Killin is the Democratic nominee, a former U.S. Army captain and paratrooper who later worked at USAA and served as chief of staff to Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. She won the June 30 Democratic primary with 61.2% of the vote and reported more cash on hand than Crank at the end of June. In October voter guides she emphasized lowering costs by ending tariffs, building more housing, requiring data centers to pay their share of energy costs, and government-ethics measures such as banning congressional stock trading.
Mark Elworth Jr., also known as Marky Jr., is the Libertarian Party nominee for Colorado's 5th Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he graduated from the VanEd Educational Center in 2015 and previously chaired Nebraska's Legal Marijuana NOW Party, running for Nebraska governor in 2014 and for Nebraska's 3rd Congressional District in 2022. His campaign emphasizes limited government, lower spending, personal liberty, and a non-interventionist foreign policy.
Steven Fuller is an unaffiliated write-in candidate for Colorado's 5th Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. A 14-year Army combat veteran with three Iraq tours and founder of Wackadoo Brewing, he is identified as a certified write-in candidate on the Colorado Secretary of State's list and is also listed in the district's general-election field by Ballotpedia. He has pledged to support congressional term limits and describes his campaign as independent and un-bought.
Christopher Mitchell is the American Constitution Party candidate for Colorado's 5th Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. An electrical engineer who previously ran for this seat in 2022 and 2024, he is identified as a non-write-in candidate on the Colorado Secretary of State's certified list and is also listed in the district's general-election field by Ballotpedia.
Forecast
Jeff Crank favored
Jeff Crank: 79% modeled win probability with a +8.0 pts estimated margin
Polling
2 polls, newest firstAbout this research
Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated October 10, 2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.