Jason Crow – Democrat – Incumbent
Democrat Rep. Jason Crow has represented CO-6 since 2019, after flipping the seat in a blue wave year to become the first Democrat to represent the district since its creation. The lawyer and military veteran has built on his national security background during his first two terms in Congress.
Crow sits on the Armed Services Committee, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Small Business Committee, where he’s the chair of the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Workforce development subcommittee. He’s also the co-chair of the House Democratic Caucus National Security Task Force.
Crow gained national attention while serving as a House manager during the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump. The former Army Ranger was in the House chamber when rioters broke into the Capitol on January 6th. He has said he pulled from his combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan to help seal the chamber while other members of Congress got to safety.
Many of the bills Crow has introduced relate to the military and foreign affairs. The House passed his bill temporarily waiving medical exams for Afghans who qualify for Special Immigrant status and another to require major military installations to plan for threats from climate change. Last year, President Joe Biden signed into law a bill Crow spearheaded that names a new clinic at the Aurora VA after Tuskegee Airman and civil rights activist John Mosely. Several of his current bills have been added as amendments to the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which Congress is currently negotiating. One will extend the Colorado National Guard’s FireGuard Program through 2026 and a second, co-sponsored by Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn, aims to establish a Space National Guard.
Crow has also been a vocal supporter of stricter gun laws, noting he represents the district where the Aurora theater shooting took place.
Crow was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. He earned a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin in 2002, and in 2009, he received a Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. In between, Crow enlisted in the Army where he served three combat tours. He became an Army Ranger, rising to the rank of Captain. He was awarded the Bronze Star. Crow served on the Colorado Board of Veterans Affairs from 2009 to 2014 and spent time in private practice at the law firm, Holland & Hart. He had never held elected office before defeating five-term Republican congressman Mike Coffman in 2018.
Crow has raised a significant amount of money for his 2022 campaign with nearly $2.1 million cash on hand.
Steven Monahan – Republican – Challenger
Republican Steven Monahan is a former Naval aviator and father of three who says he’s running because he’s concerned about “rising crime, inflation, parental role in their children’s education, immigration” and government bureaucracy. He also wants to end green energy subsidies and reduce the trade deficit.
His campaign for Congress follows an unsuccessful bid for the state House in 2020.
If elected to office, Monahan said the first thing he’d do is ask questions: who is enforcing the laws currently in place, particularly when it comes to immigration. He’d also like to “get rid of” the $80 billion allocated to the IRS in the Inflation Reduction Act.
Monahan’s top issues include the economy, national security and reducing crime in Colorado. He ties those last two concerns together, arguing that rising crime in the state can be attributed to human and drug trafficking at the southern border, which he sees as a prime focus for national security. (The vast majority of drugs flow into the U.S. through legal ports of entry, according to Customs and Border Control.)
If elected, Monahan would take an “all of the above” approach to energy production in the U.S. and said he believes nuclear energy options should be considered. Monahan said he’s pro-Second Amendment rights, but is “happy to have conversations with people about how to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.”
Monahan has the backing of Nine PAC, which supports candidates who pledge to try to prevent trans women from participating in women’s sports.
Monahan has taken a grassroots approach to his campaign, saying he’s knocked on over 1,000 doors with the support of volunteers. He and his staff produced a “tongue and cheek” video that played on Top Gun themes while drawing on his naval aviation experience.
Monahan was born in Guam to a military family and raised in Texas. He moved to Colorado in the early 2000s. Eight weeks after 9/11, Monahan enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served all over the world, from Europe and the Middle East to Africa and South America. He received a degree in finance from the University of Tennessee before returning to the Navy as a pilot.
Monahan faces an uphill battle. He has about $53,000 cash on hand going into the fall election. And redistricting made the once competitive district lean solidly in the blue column.
CPR's Caitlyn Kim contributed to this report.
