DENVER — Jessica Killin, a former U.S. Army captain and chief of staff to former second gentleman Doug Emhoff, will look to flip the 5th Congressional District in 2026, she announced Tuesday.

Killin, a Democrat, will take on freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank for the El Paso County district. The seat has long been a Republican stronghold, with Crank winning it by 14 percentage points in 2024.

In her announcement, she called out Crank’s vote for the omnibus tax-and-spending-cut bill recently signed into law by President Donald Trump.

“Washington needs leaders who are focused on actually getting things done — not partisan name-calling and bitter culture wars,” Killin said in a statement announcing her candidacy. “The Pikes Peak Region deserves results-oriented, competent leadership. Instead, Jeff Crank has let his constituents down, voting to kick thousands off health care while raising the national debt by trillions.”

Before working for Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, Killin was employed by the bank USAA, at which she worked on Veterans Administration home loans and against predatory lenders, according to her campaign. Her military service included time as a military police officer and as a paratrooper.

She is the fifth Democrat to declare for the seat, including 2024 candidates Joe Reagan and River Gassen.

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