State Rep. Amy Paschal (D-Colorado Springs) recently contacted Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib and Karin Asensio, the state party’s executive director, to complain about a document sent by Congressional District 5 candidate Joe Reagan’s senior campaign advisor to the Pikes Peak Bulletin.
The document at issue in Paschal’s complaint was about Reagan’s Democratic primary competitor, Jessica Killin. Titled “JK Findings,” that document states, “[A] review of publicly available campaign finance records raises serious questions about her residency in Colorado, commitment to the district, and why endorsements from Colorado candidates followed contributions.”
The Pikes Peak Bulletin confirmed with El Paso County Democratic Party Chair John Jarrell that Killin meets the residency requirement to be eligible to run in the Congressional District 5 race.
It goes on to say, “Endorsements Followed Contributions. Of the six Colorado-recipient campaigns Killin donated to around the time of her launch, four have since endorsed her candidacy: Senator Michael Bennet, Representative Brittany Pettersen, State Representative Amy Paschal and former Colorado Springs City Council member Yolanda Avila.”
Read JK Findings
Paschal believes this amounted to an accusation that she and other elected officials were “bribed by donations” to endorse Killin.
“Not a clean campaign,” Paschal wrote to her party’s leadership.
Paschal became aware of JK Findings when the Bulletin reached out for comment on it, and told the Bulletin she believed it was a violation of the Clean Campaign Pledge.
Colorado Democrats are encouraging positive primary campaigns with the 2026 Clean Campaign Pledge. Candidates who sign this voluntary agreement to avoid personal attacks and focus on issues are highlighted on the state party’s website.
At the time of Paschal’s complaint, neither Reagan nor Killin was listed on the state party’s website as a candidate who had signed the Clean Campaign Pledge. However, a spokesperson for Killin told the Bulletin on June 1 that Killin signed the pledge that day.
“[Killin] is running a clean campaign, so she just signed the pledge to remain committed to that principle for the rest of the primary election,” the spokesperson said.
Though not all candidates have signed it, the pledge reflects party leadership’s values and hopes for candidates. The pledge includes commitments to focus on facts, issues, candidate vision and policy positions. There is also a pragmatic angle to the pledge’s high-minded ideals.
“I understand that primary attacks are short-sighted because I will need the support of the other candidates and their supporters to win a General Election if I am the nominee,” the pledge states.
The Bulletin reached out to all the officials named in JK Findings. Their responses may be found in our May 5 article “Tensions mount in high-stakes congressional primary race.” The article is largely about the intra-party conflict arising from national Dems throwing their weight behind candidates in primaries, including Killin, leaving many Democrats, including Reagan’s team, feeling that their grassroots candidate is being brushed aside for the establishment’s choice.
In her email to Dem party leadership, Paschal pointed out that Reagan and his campaign manager had also both made the maximum allowable contribution ($450) to her re-election campaign.
Colorado’s TRACER (Transparency in Contribution and Expenditure Reporting) website shows Reagan donated in January of this year and Killin donated in November of last year.
Paschal told the Bulletin that after she complained, Murib made a phone call to Reagan and his team asking them to refrain from making statements like the one that led to Paschal’s complaint.
Reagan had a different account of events. He said the state party had “dismissed” Paschal’s complaint as an “unfounded claim.”
“We are happy that the state party dismissed this as an unfounded claim, and we’re continuing to focus on the work that matters: strengthening this community,” Reagan said.
The Bulletin asked Murib if either account was correct. Did he call Reagan and tell him to stop, or was the complaint dismissed as unfounded?
“It’s not accurate to suggest the complaint was dismissed,” Murib wrote in an email to the Bulletin. “I have made it clear in a direct conversation that this kind of rhetoric has no place in our party.”
CO GOP has own primary issues
Democrats are not the only party in Colorado facing some intra-party friction during the primary season. Two Republican candidates for governor – Barb Kirkmeyer and Scott Bottoms – have publicly called the third candidate (and arguable frontrunner), Victor Marx, untrustworthy and said they will not support him if he secures the GOP nomination.
