The Case Against Jeff Crank

“Jeff Crank works for billionaires, not for Coloradans. While families struggle to make ends meet, Crank is working every day to push tax breaks for his ultra-wealthy bosses who bankrolled his political career – at the expense of everyone else. Unlike Crank, Jessica Killin is running for Congress to lower costs for families, stand up for veterans and military families, and be an independent voice for Coloradans. A fourth-generation Coloradan and U.S. Army veteran, Jessica is the leader who will put El Paso County first,” said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene.

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To: Interested Parties
From: Lindsay Reilly, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: June 30, 2026
Subject: The Case Against Jeff Crank

Bought and paid for by special interests, Jeff Crank represents everything that’s wrong with Washington. Crank spent years at the beck and call of billionaires Charles and David Koch, working as their puppet as the head of their right-wing dark money group in Colorado. A dedicated ally to billionaires, Crank rolled into Congress on a dark money train. After his allies spent seven figures getting Crank through his Republican primary in 2024, Crank returned the favor by voting for permanent tax cuts for his billionaire buddies – paid for by gutting Coloradans’ health care, putting Colorado hospitals and nursing homes on the chopping block, and ripping food out of hungry kids’ mouths. Crank continues to closely toe the party line on everything from protecting convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his allies to defending the unpopular, reckless war in Iran to backing tariffs that are jacking up prices on families and small businesses. Crank has made clear where his priorities lie: with billionaires, special interests, and D.C. party bosses – not with Coloradans.

Fortunately, voters in the Fifth District have a proven fighter in Jessica Killin. Jessica is a fourth-generation Coloradan, U.S. Army veteran, and devoted mom who is deeply committed to serving her state and country. A former captain and military police officer in the U.S. Army, Jessica is a leader who wears her patriotism on her sleeve. Jessica spent more than a decade advocating for veterans at USAA, where she fought to keep military families in their homes during the 2008 financial crisis, protect veterans from predatory lenders, and streamline VA home loans. Jessica is running for Congress to lower costs, better protect veterans and military families, restore integrity and fight corruption in government, and be an independent voice for Coloradans.

Colorado’s Fifth Congressional District has consistently moved towards the center in recent election cycles and is considered the fastest trending Democratic congressional seat in the country by Cook Political Report. While Crank has spent the past two decades cozying up with billionaires, Jessica has shown herself to be a true public servant who is loyal to the Constitution – not to special interests or to a political party. With “a stronger 5th district candidate this year than [Democrats] have ever had in Jessica Killin,” a U.S. Army veteran who is running against a non-veteran to represent a district with one of the largest military populations in the country, CO-05 is primed to flip from red to blue in November.

A Career-Long Political Operative Who’s Cozy with the Koch Brothers

Jeff Crank’s thirty year political career is marked by chaos, corruption, and Koch Brothers’ cash. Crank first ran for Congress in 2006 after more than a decade of working and lobbying for corporate interests on Capitol Hill. Rejected twice by voters in 2006 and 2008, Crank was then hired by the billionaire Koch brothers to do their political bidding in Colorado. Crank quickly became the face of Americans for Prosperity Colorado, the in-state arm of the Koch brothers’ right-wing, dark money political machine. As the organization’s state director, Crank criss-crossed Colorado to rally against affordable health care and advocated for changes to the tax code that would have overwhelmingly favored the ultra-wealthy at the expense of working class Coloradans. Nearly two decades later and now in Congress, Crank is staying true to his elite-wing roots by pushing for higher health care costs and tax breaks for his billionaire buddies.

After proving himself an ally to billionaires, Crank launched a political consultant firm “with the Kochs’ blessing.” Called “the candidate-support operation of the Koch network” by one GOP operative, Crank’s company was created to “mix it up in primaries” and push the Republican Party further into the arms of special interests. The Kochs paid Crank well, funneling seven figures into his company in just one year and opening doors for Crank to cozy up with other right-wing billionaires. A short time later, Crank’s firm launched a dark money super PAC to further the Koch brothers’ political agenda. Crank’s company is also closely tied to a nonprofit that seemed to violate campaign law by funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of dark money into a Senate campaign – further evidence that Crank is dedicated to helping special interests push their agenda at all costs.

Crank’s close relationship with the Koch brothers extends to his (third) run for Congress in 2024. At the time, Crank was espousing his billionaire buddies’ talking points on his podcast, “American Potential,” which was funded by Americans for Prosperity (AFP). Seemingly pleased by Crank’s bootlicking, “AFP and other groups bankrolled by wealthy right-wing donors” spent nearly $1.5 million to make sure Crank made it through the Republican primary and could do their bidding once elected. Crank has delivered for his billionaire friends so far, most notably by casting a key vote that makes tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy permanent by kicking millions of working Americans off their health care.

Jessica Killin stands with Colorado families, not billionaires. A public servant at heart, Jessica is running to restore people’s trust in government by cracking down on corruption. Jessica has a plan to ban public stock trading by members of Congress, strengthen ethics rules across government, and get dark money out of politics. Unlike Crank, Jessica believes that our elected leaders should work for the people, not for a select wealthy few.

An Epstein Enabler Who Always Puts his Party First

Jeff Crank consistently sides with powerful insiders over Coloradans. Crank refused to sign onto a bipartisan push to release information related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – even as a survivor’s loved ones who live in Crank’s district pleaded with him to take action as their representative. The family of Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein victim who later took her own life, repeatedly asked Crank to help release files related to Epstein’s crimes. Virginia’s family reportedly never got a response from Crank, despite his staff saying he would reach out in 48 hours. After “no response” from Crank, the family resorted to protesting outside of his district office to try to get their so-called representative’s attention.

Crank is making clear he’s loyal to D.C. party bosses, not to Coloradans. Crank is a strong supporter of the reckless war in Iran despite concern among military families in his district and higher prices at the pump at an already economically-challenging time for Coloradans. Crank also folded faster than a lawn chair to Trump’s demands to relocate the U.S. Space Command Headquarters from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama. Crank’s decision to “choos[e] flight over fight” was a slap in the face to Colorado Springs, where the aerospace and defense industry employs more than 110,000 people and supports 40% of the local economy. As if folding wasn’t bad enough, Crank went further and called a lawsuit to block the relocation “political exercises,” “backwards,” and not “productive” – once again proving Crank is not willing to stand up to his Republican party bosses when Colorado is getting the short end of the stick. Killin, on the other hand, has been a vocal proponent for keeping Space Command headquarters in Colorado Springs.

Crank’s party over country ethos was again on display when he refused to defend the tens of thousands of veterans in his district who rely on the VA health care system. On the same day a leaked memo exposed the Administration’s plan to slash 83,000 jobs from the VA, Crank said that “we’ve got to find cuts” and that he was “perfectly happy” – even though other Republicans were warning about the potential harm to veterans. Crank’s constituents started feeling the cuts almost immediately when the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System “dismissed” probationary staff within days of the memo being leaked. Despite health care workers and Colorado veterans sounding the alarm, Crank couldn’t bring himself to speak out against D.C. party leaders – both at that time and again when the Administration made additional cuts in March. Meanwhile, a U.S. Army veteran and former military police officer, Jessica is an outspoken advocate for veterans, servicemembers, and military families. At USAA, Jessica spent years fighting to keep military families in their homes during the 2008 financial crisis, protect veterans from predatory lenders, and streamline VA home loans. On the campaign trail, Jessica is leaning into her military background while calling for improvements to VA health care and more support for veterans experiencing mental health challenges.

Unlike Crank, Jessica is willing to stand up to her own party and do what’s right for Coloradans. Jessica is running for Congress because she’s seen Washington’s tribalism and dysfunction up close – and she wants to do something to fix it.

Cranking Up the Costs: Jeff Crank Keeps Voting to Raise Prices on Coloradans

It may have taken Jeff Crank twenty years to fulfill his dream of being in Congress, but he wasted no time becoming a Republican rubberstamp willing to jack up costs on families. Crank immediately fell in line and cast a key vote for the Big, Ugly Bill – devastating legislation that pays for tax breaks for billionaires by gutting health care and ripping food off hungry kids’ tables. Crank’s health care cuts are raising health insurance premiums, threatening Medicaid coverage for nearly 1 in 4 of Crank’s constituents, and jeopardizing nursing homes and hospitals across Colorado, including UCHealth Grandview Hospital in Crank’s district. While health care centers “brace for fallout from federal health funding cuts,” some Colorado patients are already draining their savings, emptying their retirement accounts, and taking out home loans to cover their skyrocketing health care premiums after Crank and D.C. Republicans refused to extend tax credits that help families afford insurance. Despite Crank’s constituents seeing an estimated 159% premium increase, Crank doubled down and voted against a bipartisan push to renew the tax credits earlier this year.

The Big, Ugly Bill isn’t the only component of Crank’s cost-spiking agenda. Crank has repeatedly voted to protect reckless tariffs that are jacking up costs on Colorado families and small businesses. Experts have been blaring the alarm that Crank’s tariffs could cost the state an additional $1.4 billion a year, while a whopping 86% of Colorado businesses say that Crank’s tariffs are doing more harm than good as many weigh raising prices, laying off staff, or closing their doors altogether. Specific effects are already being felt: construction in Colorado is “buckling” with tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper jacking up project expenses by 15-25% and new home construction costs by 4-6%, while grocery prices are up and Colorado families are paying an additional $600 million more for cars and appliances this year.

Coloradans are also paying higher energy costs thanks to Crank. Despite gas prices reaching nearly $5 a gallon in Colorado, Crank has repeatedly voted to greenlight Trump’s War of Choice in Iran that’s jacking up fuel costs. As prices skyrocket due to the Crank-backed war, petroleum-derived products like clothes, tires, and other everyday necessities are also expected to get more expensive. On top of higher prices at the gas pump, experts are projecting a 45% increase in wholesale electricity prices by 2030 because Crank voted to gut clean energy tax credits via the Big, Ugly Bill. Coloradans just can’t afford Crank’s cost-spiking agenda.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Colorado Sun: Colorado’s Republican US representatives decline to fight Trump on Space Command, even as they risk voter fallout [Colorado Sun, 9/16/25]

“After President Donald Trump announced earlier this month that the relocation was happening — saying a big factor was Colorado’s broad use of mail ballots — Crank appears to be choosing flight over fight.”

[…]
“Killin, an Army veteran and former chief of staff to second gentleman Doug Emhoff, said the relocation proves ‘how ineffective (Crank) has been as a member of Congress.’”

“‘I thought that all of this crazy political kowtowing that he was doing was to hopefully keep Space Command here,’ Killin told The Sun in an interview. ‘But I find it amazing that he couldn’t even do that.’”

Denver Post: Rising gas prices put Colorado Republican congressmen on the defensive as midterm elections approach [Denver Post, 3/29/26]

Colorado Public Radio: High costs of living and health care hit Coloradans hard, according to new poll [Colorado Public Radio, 7/15/25]

Colorado Public Radio: Patients and providers share stories of health care despair as worries mount over coverage and costs [Colorado Public Radio, 5/6/26]

Denver Post: From Colorado’s small businesses to its large corporations, tariffs are having a jarring impact [Denver Post, 9/6/25]

KOAA5: Local family of Epstein survivor urges Congressman Crank to support bill [KOAA5, 9/24/25]

“Standing outside Congressman Jeff Crank’s Colorado Springs Office Wednesday afternoon, Sky Roberts and his wife Amanda urged the congressman to support a bill that would release all unclassified documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.”

Colorado Sun: National Democrats see a path to winning Colorado Springs’ congressional seat for first time ever [Colorado Sun, 2/10/26]

“They have a stronger 5th District candidate this year than they’ve likely ever had in Jessica Killin… [and] the district — which is entirely contained within El Paso County — has been trending toward Democrats over the past decade.”

National Journal: Dems look to strike gold in Colorado [National Journal, 5/21/26]

Colorado Public Radio: 5th Congressional District: Democrat Jessica Killin [Colorado Public Radio, 5/29/26]

“Jessica Killin said she has lived her version of the American Dream, and she wants people in the 5th Congressional District to have the opportunity to do the same.”
[…]
“She has outraised her Democratic opponent, and as of April 1, she has outraised GOP incumbent Rep. Jeff Crank, which has helped put this race on a list of ones to watch. She has also been endorsed by every Democratic member of the current Colorado congressional delegation and won the top line at the Democratic assembly. Killin was also added to the House Democrats’ Red to Blue program in early May, which means the DCCC views Killin as a top-tier candidate.”

Colorado Springs Gazette: Democratic Congressional hopeful Jessica Killin makes case to El Paso County veterans [Colorado Springs Gazette, 6/19/26]

Colorado Springs Gazette: How important is military service in race for 5th Congressional District? [Colorado Springs Gazette, 4/18/26]

“Colorado’s 5th Congressional District has one of the highest concentrations of military facilities in the country — Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, Fort Carson, Air Force Academy, NORAD, the headquarters of Northern Command, Space Force and Space Command.

Yet, ironically, the district has not been represented by someone with military experience in more than 40 years.

PATH TO VICTORY

Colorado’s Fifth Congressional District “has been trending towards Democrats over the past decade” as more families move into the rapidly growing Colorado Springs area. The district is considered the fastest Democratic-trending seat in the country by national race rater Cook Political Report, which recently shifted CO-05 in Democrats’ direction. While Crank’s predecessor won the district by 31 points in 2016, Crank won by 14 points in 2024 against a “first-time candidate who raised little money and effectively had no party assistance.” Colorado Governor Jared Polis lost El Paso County by roughly 4 points in 2022, after losing it by 17 in 2018. Colorado Springs’ “quickly changing demographics” and move towards the political center were on full display in 2023, when the city elected a mayor not affiliated with the Republican Party for the first time in over 40 years. It’s clear Colorado Springs is hungry for new, independent leadership – and that’s what they’ll get with Jessica Killin.

In an election cycle where Democrats are overperforming in congressional special elections by 17 points, CO-05 is a prime pickup opportunity. A U.S. Army veteran and former military police officer, Jessica is a particularly “strong” candidate against non-veteran Jeff Crank in a district with one of the largest military populations in the country. Jessica’s independent streak is an asset in Colorado Springs, where more than half of all voters are registered as unaffiliated. Jessica’s momentum is palpable: she’s outraised Crank three quarters in a row and has a significant cash-on-hand advantage going into the General Election. With deep community support and the resources to compete, Jessica is ready to flip Colorado’s Fifth Congressional District from red to blue for the first time ever.

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