A retired Air Force colonel rang the doorbell at a home in Colorado Springs last week, triggering The Star-Spangled Banner as the signal. Lou Christensen, 70, a Republican and a 28-year veteran, was there to endorse Jessica Killin, a fellow veteran running against Rep. Jeff Crank in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District—a conservative-leaning seat with five military installations, including NORAD, Fort Carson and the Air Force Academy.
Christensen, who had never supported a Democrat before, said Congress needed to rein in what he viewed as runaway executive authority. “We need another branch of government that stands up and says, ‘Uh, boss, that’s not constitutional,'” he said. His decision reflects a rare but expanding trend: Democrats believe opposition to the Iran war and frustration with military management could sway Republican-held seats, particularly in districts with large veteran populations.
In Colorado’s 5th, where nearly one out of every nine residents is a veteran, Democrats are investing heavily in Killin’s campaign for the first time in years. The district backed Trump by nine points in 2022, but her team positions the race as a vote on the war and the administration’s military policies.
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Killin, who served as an Army captain in the Balkans, told a gathering of veterans that U.S. global influence had declined under Trump. “For the first time in history, now the global community thinks more of China than of the United States,” she said. The message struck a chord with some attendees, including a former Army Ranger who criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for injecting conservative Christian doctrine into military culture.
Veterans clash over war and Trump’s legacy
But the race remains uncertain. Rep. Crank, a first-term Republican with no military service, rejects the notion he blindly follows Trump. He cited Trump’s move to relocate U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama as an example of where he disagrees. Crank also recalled a call with the father of a fallen soldier from Fort Carson. “He basically said to me, ‘Don’t let it be for nothing,'” Crank said. He added: “We’re reluctant to go, but once we’re there, let’s get the job done and go home. And I think that’s how people in my district feel.”
Veteran opinions on the war and administration are split. In Virginia’s 2nd District, where Naval Station Norfolk creates a veteran-heavy electorate, Democrat Elaine Luria, a retired Navy commander, faces Republican Jen Kiggans, a former Navy helicopter pilot. Luria, who deployed to the Middle East, calls the Iran war “an expanding economic crisis” and accuses Kiggans of aligning with Trump’s approach. Kiggans, whose 10 years of service included two deployments to the Persian Gulf, said she hopes the war can soon be brought to a close. But she argued that Luria, through her criticism, has “chosen the side of Iran.”
Democrats exploit divisions in military-leaning districts
The 2022 victory by Kiggans, after Luria held the seat for two terms, shows how quickly veteran districts can shift. While veterans generally favor Republicans, nearly 60% supported Trump in 2022, the Iran war has exposed divisions. Some, like retired Army lieutenant colonel Phyllis Mihalas, say the conflict has weakened national security and question Hegseth’s leadership. Others, including retired Air Force lieutenant general Mike Gould, defend Trump’s actions, calling the Iran strike “the correct decision.”
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Democrats are testing this divide in multiple districts. In South Carolina’s 1st, Nancy Lacore, a former Navy vice admiral fired by Hegseth last year, challenges Republican Jennifer Honeycutt. In Florida, retired Army Brigadier General Leela Gray takes on Rep. Anna Paulina Luna in the 13th District, while Bale Dalton, a former Navy aviator and NASA official, faces Ryan Elijah in the 7th.
Experience vs. escalation in Virginia’s tight race
At Elaine Luria’s Virginia Beach campaign event, veterans expressed concerns over the Iran conflict’s direction. Luria contrasted her Middle East deployment experience with what she described as the Trump administration’s escalation. Her campaign targets Jen Kiggans for voting against resolutions seeking congressional approval for military actions. Kiggans rejects these claims, arguing Democrats have “chosen the side of Iran.”
In Virginia’s 2nd District, where Naval Station Norfolk drives the local economy, the race reflects competing visions of military leadership. Paul Krekorian, a Navy veteran and retired teacher, opposed the Iran war but still supported Kiggans. Others, like Phyllis Mihalas, rejected both parties’ stances. Mihalas, an independent, plans to vote for Luria despite her party affiliation, calling it a “last option” to counter unchecked executive power.
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