Jessica Killin
District 5 - Democratic Party
How does your experience make you qualified to represent the people?
I’m running for Congress because I’m a patriot, I love my country, and I love Colorado. I grew up in Colorado Springs as the daughter of public school educators. My mom was a teacher at Pikes Peak Elementary, and my dad was the principal of Falcon Middle School. Growing up here in Colorado Springs surrounded by military families, I was inspired by the sense of service. I pursued an Army ROTC scholarship, then served overseas as a Military Police Officer.
When I returned to the US, I worked in the private sector for over 13 years, including over a decade at USAA, advocating to improve the financial security of servicemembers and veterans. I then worked in public service leadership roles on Capitol Hill and at the White House.
My experience in the military, private sector, and public service, and growing up here in El Paso County, has made me ready to hit the ground running and represent Southern Colorado in the way it deserves. I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in Washington, DC. And I know how to create real pragmatic results for our community. I am not afraid of either party. I will always focus on engaging with our community and delivering for the people of El Paso County – rather than the same old partisan politics.
What are your top policy priorities?
As someone who grew up in a middle-class household on the East side of Colorado Springs, I got to live my version of the American Dream. I want to give back to the community that raised me and give our future generations the opportunity to also achieve the American Dream. Accordingly, my top policy priorities are lowering costs for Colorado families and ending corruption to restore integrity in politics.
We have an affordability crisis here in El Paso County. Families are struggling to pay for housing, healthcare, childcare, and groceries. As gas prices continue to skyrocket because of the Iran conflict, families are being squeezed even further.
First, I would end the illegal and harmful tariffs that are raising prices for hardworking Coloradans and small businesses, which Jeff Crank has repeatedly voted to protect. I would fight to reverse the healthcare cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill that have raised costs for everyone, end the childcare desert in El Paso County, and stop grocery store chains from merging to prevent monopolies from driving up the cost of food.
I believe that elected office is a sacred public trust, not a means for personal profit or corporate influence. Our government must be accountable to the people. I support banning top government officials, across all three branches of government (including Congress), from buying and trading public stocks while serving the public because no one should get rich by leveraging non-public information for personal gain. I also support government ethics laws that have real consequences. I will also fight to end the era of corporate control over our elections by ending Citizens United and returning political power to individual voters– where it belongs.
What is one issue you think is being overlooked in this race, and how would you address it?
Housing prices and access are some of the greatest concerns I hear from Southern Coloradans every day. I would work to lower our housing costs by creating incentives that will increase supply, especially entry-level housing, in the Pikes Peak region and improve access for first-time home buyers. I would also collaborate with federal, state, and local partners to increase the availability of affordable, quality childcare. Being able to buy your first home is essential to building financial stability and long-term economic growth for families.
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