COLORADO — Republican Jeff Crank won the election for Colorado's 5th District in 2024, securing the same U.S. House seat previously held by former Representative Joel Hefley. Crank had worked as a congressional staffer for Hefley in the 1990s.

Crank worked for several years for Hefley, becoming his top aide. His initial duties for Hefley included stamping incoming mail, and his initial annual salary was $17,000. Crank began working for Hefley in 1991 and handled defense issues. In 1991, Crank used his vacation time for his wedding, and his father died one month later. Hefley provided Crank with personal frequent flyer miles to travel to Colorado for his father's funeral.

A framed photo in Crank's office displays Hefley holding Crank's son, Joel, in 1997. Hefley wrote on the photo, "Great baby! Great name! Great family!" Representative Crank stated, "I had an uncle Joel as well, who I love, but I also respected Joel. And we liked the name Joel. I always told him, 'If your first name was Maurice, we probably wouldn't have named the kid Maurice.'" Crank collected approximately 100 of Hefley's drawings, which included caricatures of Bill Clinton and John McCain.

In 2006, Crank ran for Congress to succeed Hefley, who supported his campaign. Crank lost the Republican primary in that election. After previous campaign defeats, Crank worked for Americans for Prosperity, an advocacy group aligned with the Koch brothers, and hosted a conservative talk show. Following Doug Lamborn's announcement that he would not seek reelection in 2024, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Colorado's 5th District to its target list for the election cycle. Jim Banks, who served as Crank's campaign manager in 2006, assisted him with fundraising and contacting leadership during the 2024 campaign. Banks is a U.S. Senator from Indiana and worked for Focus on the Family, which is headquartered in Colorado Springs, in 2006.

Crank majored in political science and sought employment on Capitol Hill by distributing resumes to approximately 175 Republican offices. Then-Representative Denny Smith hired Crank for an internship. While interning, Crank lived in the basement of his future father-in-law's home near Fort Belvoir; his future father-in-law was stationed with the Army there. During new member orientation, Crank was exempt from metal detector screening upon entering the Capitol. Crank's office in the Longworth Building contains three bronze figures of Union soldiers sculpted by Hefley. Crank said, "He’s like a real artist. He’s the real deal." Lisa Crank, his wife, worked at the Department of Health and Human Services while he was a staffer.