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Colorado's 5th Congressional District election, 2026

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2024
Colorado's 5th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 18, 2026
Primary: June 30, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Colorado

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Likely Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Colorado's 5th Congressional District
U.S. Senate1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th
Colorado elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

All U.S. House districts, including the 5th Congressional District of Colorado, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is June 30, 2026. The filing deadline is March 18, 2026. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

General election

The primary will occur on June 30, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.

General election for U.S. House Colorado District 5

Roy Matthewson and Matt Cavanaugh are running in the general election for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on November 3, 2026.

Candidate
Roy Matthewson (Unaffiliated)
Matt Cavanaugh (Independent)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5

The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on June 30, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5

Incumbent Jeff Crank is running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on June 30, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Jeff Crank
Jeff Crank

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Candidate profiles

There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here. You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:

Voting information

See also: Voting in Colorado

Election information in Colorado: Nov. 3, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: Nov. 3, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 26, 2026
  • Online: Oct. 26, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: N/A
  • By mail: N/A by N/A
  • Online: N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: Nov. 3, 2026
  • By mail: Received by Nov. 3, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 19, 2026 to Nov. 3, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (MT)


Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.

You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Jeff Crank Republican Party $1,089,439 $377,310 $778,683 As of September 30, 2025
Zurit Horowitz Democratic Party $16,850 $10,600 $6,250 As of September 30, 2025
Jessica Killin Democratic Party $1,044,155 $271,465 $772,690 As of September 30, 2025
Justice Lord Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Joe Reagan Democratic Party $100,115 $51,155 $56,428 As of September 30, 2025
Jamey Smith Democratic Party $46,174 $21,016 $25,158 As of September 30, 2025
Michelle Tweed Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Roy Matthewson Unaffiliated $200 $146 $108 As of March 31, 2025
Matt Cavanaugh Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]

Race ratings: Colorado's 5th Congressional District election, 2026
Race trackerRace ratings
12/23/202512/16/202512/9/202512/2/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Decision Desk HQ and The HillPendingPendingPendingPending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesLikely RepublicanLikely RepublicanLikely RepublicanLikely Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallLikely RepublicanLikely RepublicanLikely RepublicanLikely Republican
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Colorado in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Colorado, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Colorado U.S. House Major party 10% of votes cast for the office in the last primary, or 1,500, whichever is less N/A 3/18/2026 Source
Colorado U.S. House Minor party 2.5% of votes cast for the office in the last general election, or 1,500, whichever is less N/A 3/18/2026 Source
Colorado U.S. House Unaffiliated 2.5% of votes cast for the office in the last general election, or 1,500, whichever is less N/A 7/9/2026 Source


District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

General election

General election for U.S. House Colorado District 5

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jeff Crank
Jeff Crank (R)
 
54.7
 
197,924
Image of River Gassen
River Gassen (D)  Candidate Connection
 
40.9
 
147,972
Image of Michael Vance
Michael Vance (L)
 
1.8
 
6,458
Image of Joseph O. Gaye
Joseph O. Gaye (Unaffiliated)  Candidate Connection
 
1.1
 
4,094
Image of Christopher Mitchell
Christopher Mitchell (American Constitution Party)  Candidate Connection
 
1.1
 
4,006
Image of Christopher Sweat
Christopher Sweat (Forward Party)  Candidate Connection
 
0.4
 
1,627
Image of Marcus Murphy
Marcus Murphy (Unaffiliated) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
4

Total votes: 362,085
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5

River Gassen (D) defeated Joe Reagan (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on June 25, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of River Gassen
River Gassen  Candidate Connection
 
50.6
 
20,802
Image of Joe Reagan
Joe Reagan  Candidate Connection
 
49.4
 
20,313

Total votes: 41,115
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5

Jeff Crank (R) defeated Dave Williams (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on June 25, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jeff Crank
Jeff Crank
 
65.2
 
56,585
Image of Dave Williams
Dave Williams
 
34.8
 
30,257

Total votes: 86,842
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

General election

General election for U.S. House Colorado District 5

Incumbent Doug Lamborn (R) defeated David Torres (D), Brian Flanagan (L), Christopher Mitchell (American Constitution Party), and Matthew Feigenbaum (Independent) in the general election for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Doug Lamborn
Doug Lamborn (R)
 
56.0
 
155,528
Image of David Torres
David Torres (D)  Candidate Connection
 
40.3
 
111,978
Brian Flanagan (L)
 
2.5
 
7,079
Image of Christopher Mitchell
Christopher Mitchell (American Constitution Party)
 
1.2
 
3,370
Matthew Feigenbaum (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
9

Total votes: 277,964
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5

David Torres (D) defeated Michael Colombe (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of David Torres
David Torres  Candidate Connection
 
54.7
 
24,413
Image of Michael Colombe
Michael Colombe  Candidate Connection
 
45.3
 
20,237

Total votes: 44,650
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5

Incumbent Doug Lamborn (R) defeated Dave Williams (R), Rebecca Keltie (R), and Andrew Heaton (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Doug Lamborn
Doug Lamborn
 
47.3
 
46,178
Image of Dave Williams
Dave Williams
 
33.5
 
32,669
Image of Rebecca Keltie
Rebecca Keltie  Candidate Connection
 
12.9
 
12,631
Image of Andrew Heaton
Andrew Heaton  Candidate Connection
 
6.3
 
6,121

Total votes: 97,599
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

General election for U.S. House Colorado District 5

Incumbent Doug Lamborn (R) defeated Jillian Freeland (D), Ed Duffett (L), Marcus Murphy (Independent), and Rebecca Keltie (Unity Party) in the general election for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Doug Lamborn
Doug Lamborn (R)
 
57.6
 
249,013
Image of Jillian Freeland
Jillian Freeland (D)  Candidate Connection
 
37.4
 
161,600
Image of Ed Duffett
Ed Duffett (L)  Candidate Connection
 
3.4
 
14,777
Image of Marcus Murphy
Marcus Murphy (Independent)
 
0.9
 
3,708
Image of Rebecca Keltie
Rebecca Keltie (Unity Party)  Candidate Connection
 
0.8
 
3,309

Total votes: 432,407
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5

Jillian Freeland (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on June 30, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jillian Freeland
Jillian Freeland  Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
76,033

Total votes: 76,033
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5

Incumbent Doug Lamborn (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on June 30, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Doug Lamborn
Doug Lamborn
 
100.0
 
104,302

Total votes: 104,302
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Libertarian Party convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Colorado District 5

Doug Lunde (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party convention for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on April 13, 2020.

Candidate
Doug Lunde

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Unity Party convention

Unity convention for U.S. House Colorado District 5

Rebecca Keltie (Unity Party) advanced from the Unity Party convention for U.S. House Colorado District 5 on April 4, 2020.

Candidate
Image of Rebecca Keltie
Rebecca Keltie  Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_co_congressional_district_05.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+5. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 5 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Colorado's 5th the 190th most Republican district nationally.[5]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Colorado's 5th Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
44.0% 53.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Colorado, 2024

Colorado presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 14 Democratic wins
  • 18 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party D R D D D R R R D D R R D R R R D R R R R R R D R R R D D D D D
See also: Party control of Colorado state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Colorado's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Colorado
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 4 6
Republican 0 4 4
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 8 10

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Colorado's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Colorado, October 2025
Office Officeholder
Governor Democratic Party Jared Polis
Lieutenant Governor Democratic Party Dianne Primavera
Secretary of State Democratic Party Jena Griswold
Attorney General Democratic Party Phil Weiser

State legislature

Colorado State Senate

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 23
     Republican Party 12
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 35

Colorado House of Representatives

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 43
     Republican Party 22
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 65

Trifecta control

Colorado Party Control: 1992-2025
Thirteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
Senate R R R R R R R R R D D R R D D D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D
House R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D

See also

Colorado 2026 primaries 2026 U.S. Congress elections
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Colorado congressional delegation
Voting in Colorado
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Democratic primary battlegrounds
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Ballot access

External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  5. Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
Jeff Hurd (R)
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
Democratic Party (6)
Republican Party (4)