The Colorado Democratic Party bestowed its top award this year on U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, designating the four-term lawmaker Democrat of the Year at the party’s annual fundraising dinner.

An attorney and decorated Army Ranger veteran, Crow represents the Aurora-based 6th Congressional District, which was last decade’s perennial battleground seat in Colorado until Crow defeated five-term Republican incumbent Mike Coffman in 2018.

Crow is a member of the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees and last week was named ranking member on a newly created House task force devoted to taking on transnational drug cartels. Crow co-chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s recruitment effort ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Introducing Crow at the Democrats’ Obama Gala on May 31 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet said his colleague not only helped Democrats win the House majority by unseating Coffman but has “taken on some of the toughest battles in Washington” since arriving in Washington, including serving as an impeachment manager in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial.

Saying Crow exemplifies “leadership and courage and action,” Bennet added that Crow “embodies our highest ideals and aspirations for patriotism and for public duty.”

“He’s fought for higher pay for service members, better mental health care for veterans and resources for military families. Together, we worked to ensured that Colorado became the permanent home of U.S. Space Command and (delivered) aid to Ukraine in their fight against Vladimir Putin,” Bennet said. “At a time when Trump threatens the very foundation of our democracy, Jason shows up every single day for the people of one of the most diverse districts in our country, Colorado’s 6th District, for working families, immigrant communities and small businesses.”

Accepting the award, Crow said he was “all in” on the fight to protect Americans’ rights and against the Trump administration’s “attacks on our democracy.”

“This is a very dark time,” Crows said. “This is one of the handful of moments in our nation’s history that will dictate the path that we will go down — two very, very different paths. There’s only been a handful of moments that are as consequential as the moment that we face right now, but we have seen dark times before, and in each of those dark times, it has never been institutions, norms, customs or rules that have saved us. It hasn’t. It’s always been people, because all of those things don’t matter unless there are people who will fight to uphold them.”

It’s the second time Crow has won the state party’s top award after sharing the recognition with Gov. Jared Polis in 2021.

Last year’s Democrat of the Year was former U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, and previous winners include Attorney General Phil Weiser, Secretary of State Jena Griswold, U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, former state Rep. Joe Salazar and then-Routt County Democratic Party Chair Catherine Carson.