Did you know that the voters of Colorado’s 5th Congressional District have ever elected only Republicans to represent it in Congress? Made up of Colorado Springs, and most of El Paso County, at the center of the state and the nation, the Fifth District, created in 1973, is home to more veterans than any other in the United States.

So beautiful is the largest city in Colorado that it is memorable as the place that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write a poem here in 1893, just 17 years after Colorado became the 38th state, that became a national hymn. Bates was a professor at Wellesley who traveled west to teach a summer course at the Colorado College. Bates and the other professors decided to “celebrate the close of the session by a merry expedition to the top of Pike’s Peak.” Its verses have been sung by many who have imagined, but yet beheld, its “purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain.”

The lands that would become the territory and state of Colorado came under US control via various actions, including the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1819, the Texas annexation in 1845, and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848. Following the declaration of Mexican independence from Spain in 1821, the Republic of Texas declared independence from the Republic of Mexico in 1836—when Texas included the areas south of the Arkansas River and large parts of the western half of present-day Colorado. The annexation of Texas escalated existing US-Mexican tensions into open war.

The district was represented by only two Republicans for almost 40 years—Doug Lamborn, a Republican who held the seat through nine elections, from January 3, 2007 through January 3, 2025, and predecessor Joel Hefley, who served ten terms before retiring, despite having pledged in 1986 to serve no more than three.

Jeff Crank, the incumbent, is the only candidate in the 2026 race with prior congressional experience. None of the challengers have served in federal policymaking offices.

Born in Pueblo, Colorado, Crank got a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Colorado State University. He spent seven years on the staff of Representative Joel Hefley and worked as a talk radio host. Crank first sought Hefley’s seat in 2006 and again in 2008, losing the Republican primary to Doug Lamborn both times. In 2024, he defeated Dave Williams—a former chair of the Colorado Republican Party—to win the GOP nomination and ultimately the seat.

On local military priorities, Crank has said: “I will work with the new administration and the Department of Defense to ensure that our local military installations continue to be robust — looking for new missions and new units to locate in Colorado Springs.”

Among the challengers, two seeking the Democratic nomination have worked for Uncle Sam—only one is truly independent.

Jessica Killin is widely considered the front-runner in the Democratic primary. An Army veteran who served as a Captain and paratrooper, she most recently was chief of staff to Doug Emhoff, husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris. She has earned endorsements from prominent Colorado Democrats including Representative Diana DeGette and Senator Michael Bennet.

Killin has raised more than $1 million since entering the race — the most of any candidate in the district in a single quarter, netting $610,000, including a $257,000 self-contribution. Her campaign began 2026 with more than $1.1 million in cash on hand after spending approximately $270,000. Crank raised approximately $300,000 in the final quarter of 2025, spending about $115,000, and began 2026 with roughly $1 million in cash on hand. Killin entered the new year with a slight cash-on-hand edge and the backing of national Democratic organizations, signaling that the party views this seat as a genuine target.

Joe Reagan served in the military from 2005 to 2012, earning the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. He has a bachelor’s degree from Norwich University (2004) and a graduate degree from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business (2016).

Reagan built a career as a nonprofit executive focused on connecting veterans with resources related to small business ownership, housing, mental health, and health care. He has served on the Norwich University Alumni Association Board of Directors, is active in the Downtown Colorado Springs Rotary Club, and was elected club president in 2026.

Zuri Horowitz was born in Colorado Springs native because her grandparents settled in the area after returning from the World War and graduating from the University of Colorado about 50 years after . She is the only candidate who graduated from the Colorado College (BA in Political Science); she also earned a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from California State University.

Horowitz leads People Centered COS, a Colorado Springs advocacy organization focused on people-centered urban planning — multimodal transportation, public transit, and affordable housing — in El Paso County.

She serves on the Citizens’ Transportation Advisory Board for Colorado Springs, where she advocates for safer streets. Previously, she served on the Behavioral Health Workforce Taskforce, where she pushed for improved staff pay and better staff-to-patient ratios to reduce turnover and improve working conditions.

Colorado’s 5th Congressional District leans Republican, but the 2026 race is drawing significant national Democratic attention. As of February 2, 2026, unaffiliated voters make up 52% of active registered voters in the district — a majority — followed by Republicans at 28% and Democrats at 16.5%. That large pool of unaffiliated voters makes the district potentially competitive.

As the only candidate who champions cities that are safe for citizens from infants to elders, Zuri’s campaign echoes the spirit of Bates’ America the Beautiful: 

O beautiful for patriot dream
   That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
   Undimmed by human tears!

America!  America!
   God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
   From sea to shining sea!

Find more history at https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/colorado-territory