President Donald Trump formally endorsed U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank’s bid for reelection on Tuesday, calling the Colorado Springs Republican a “Fierce Advocate for our America First Agenda.”

Crank, a staunch Trump ally, is seeking a second term in the reliably Republican 5th Congressional District, whose border roughly coincides with that of El Paso County. The former podcaster and veteran political operative won election last year by a wide margin following nine-term Republican Doug Lamborn’s announcement that he wouldn’t seek another term.

“Congressman Jeff Crank is doing a truly fantastic job representing the Great People of Colorado’s 5th Congressional District!” Trump said in a post to Truth Social, the social media site he controls. “Jeff is a Fierce Advocate for our America First Agenda.”

“In Congress,” Trump said, “he is fighting hard to Grow our Economy, Lower Taxes, Cut Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Advance American Energy DOMINANCE by helping to keep the price of Gasoline, Oil, and all forms of Energy VERY LOW, Continue to Secure our now Secure Border, Champion our Incredible Military/Veterans, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”

Trump closed his post with phrasing he typically uses in his endorsements: “Jeff Crank has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”

Crank welcomed Trump’s support in a statement to Colorado Politics.

“It’s been great to work with President Trump over the last year to secure our border, grow our economy, and support our great military and veteran community,” he said in a text message. “It’s an honor to have his support in this fight for our country.”

It’s the second time Trump has endorsed Crank, though the endorsement Crank received nearly a year ago came months after Trump attacked Crank for his ties to a conservative group that opposed Trump’s bid for the nomination.

In last year’s GOP primary, Trump initially endorsed Crank rival Dave Williams, a former state lawmaker who was then chairing the Colorado Republican Party. At the same time, Trump took a swipe at Crank for “(working) closely with Americans for Chinese Prosperity, a Charles Koch Disaster,” referring to Crank’s longtime employer Americans for Prosperity, whose political arm supported Crank.

Crank went on to defeat Williams by a nearly two-to-one margin in the primary and then carried the district in November, leading the Democratic nominee by just under 14 percentage points.

Although Lamborn routinely faced primary challenges during his 18-year tenure representing the 5th CD, Crank has yet to draw a GOP opponent, and Republicans tell Colorado Politics they think it’s unlikely he will.

Five Democrats have launched candidacies in the district this cycle, however, including Jessica Killin, an Army veteran and former chief of staff to second gentleman Doug Emhoff, and Joe Reagan, an Army combat veteran and nonprofit head who also ran for the seat in 2024.

While the district hasn’t elected a Democrat since its creation in 1972, Democrats maintain that demographic shifts and recent election results mean Crank could be vulnerable next year.

Reagan told Colorado Politics on Wednesday that Trump’s endorsement might not influence district voters as much as Crank believes.

“If Jeff Crank had the courage to host a townhall with his constituents, he’d know that he, Donald Trump and their America last policies are deeply unpopular with voters in the 5th District,” Reagan said in a text message. “Our community deserves a true leader who’s embedded in this community and understands the challenges facing our neighbors. Every day I’m out in the community engaging with our neighbors, and their message is clear: we need change.”

Killin said in a text message that the endorsement came as no surprise.

“Jeff Crank has joined Lauren Boebert as one of Trump’s most hard-line supporters in Colorado, supporting his tariffs and budget bill that are raising costs, exploding the debt and cutting health care,” Killin said. “Crank and Boebert have always put pleasing Trump ahead of doing what’s right for the people Colorado, so it’s no surprise that Trump is such a fan.”