In a fierce race for the Republican nomination in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, Jeff Crank defeated Trump supporter Dave Williams, winning one of the most closely watched primaries of the day.
Crank won the Republican nomination with 67.9% of the vote, as of Tuesday, when the Associated Press announced the election results.
The nomination race was one of the most closely watched in the nation, pitting former state representative and state Republican Party chairman Dave Williams against conservative activist Jeff Crank.
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Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams. Photo by Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Williams, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, was at the center of controversy in the final days of the campaign after he made comments in a series of emails about Pride Month in social media posts.
“God hates pride,” Williams said in a social media post, Colorado Politics reported.
The report noted that the comments sparked a movement among Republican county legislators across the state to remove Williams from his position as party chairman, though supporters of the movement acknowledged that the petition to remove the candidate from his leadership position was largely symbolic.
Williams ran a campaign further to the right of cranks, promoting conservative policies and arguing there was no need to compromise with Democrats.
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Crank, who was endorsed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, ran as a more traditional Republican option, promising continued U.S. support for Ukraine and bipartisan cooperation to pass legislation.
5th Congressional District candidate Jeff Crank speaks to supporters during a rally at Brant Barn in Black Forest, Colorado, Tuesday, June 11, 2024. (Photo by Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Neither candidate met their $1 million fundraising goal, with Crank raising just over $500,000 and Williams raising just over $100,000, according to Federal Election Commission data.
But outside groups pushed for Crank’s election victory in the final days of the election, and The Colorado Sun reported earlier this month that a Republican political action committee had spent more than $1 million trying to boost Crank’s campaign.
The fierce primary battle was made possible by the retirement of Rep. Doug Lamborn, who announced earlier this year that he would not seek a 10th term.
Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams. (Photo by Karl Gehring/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
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Crank will now face the winner of the Democratic primary, which pits River Gassen against Joe Reagan.
Republicans have won every election in the district since it was created in 1973, and the seat is expected to remain in Republican control.
