Colorado Springs Candidates Clash Over $14M Tip Tax Break

$14 million. That’s not the price tag on a new housing development or a road repair project. It’s the annual cost of a single federal tax break. Specifically, it’s the estimated value of the temporary federal deduction for tips and overtime pay that Congress passed in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (H.R. 1).

This deduction is currently set to expire. In the race for Colorado’s 5th Congressional District — a seat covering Colorado Springs and nearly all of El Paso County — candidates Jeff Crank and Jessica Killin have taken sharply different positions on whether that money should stay with workers or be redirected to corporate interests.

Jessica Killin, a Democrat and former Army captain, is arguing for permanence. She stated that the federal tax deductions for tips and overtime included in the bill should be made permanent. Her reasoning is straightforward: these are income sources for service industry workers and hourly employees who rely on that cash flow. By making the deduction permanent, she is effectively locking in a lower tax liability for this demographic.

However, Killin isn’t just keeping the money; she’s proposing to move it. She explicitly stated that she would "reduce or eliminate" tax cuts for large corporations and wealthy individuals, defining that group as those earning over $1 million. This creates a two-part strategy: protect the working-class deduction while clawing back the high-end corporate breaks.

On the other side of the aisle, Republican incumbent Jeff Crank, 59, is defending the existing framework. Crank, who has represented the district since 2024, worked for the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and served as state director for Americans for Prosperity before his congressional run. While the provided text cuts off before detailing his full argument on the tip/overtime deduction, his background suggests a focus on economic stability and existing policy continuity. He is likely defending the current structure against what he might view as an overreach by the Democratic opponent.

The stakes here are local. For a server in Colorado Springs or a factory worker in El Paso County, this isn't abstract politics. It's the difference between a take-home pay that covers rent and one that doesn't. Killin wants to guarantee that extra income stays in their pockets permanently. Crank wants to maintain the status quo that has been in place since the bill passed.

Other candidates are also on the ballot, including Christopher Mitchell (American Constitution Party), Mark "Marky Jr." Elworth (Libertarian), and Steven Fuller (Unaffiliated). But the main event is the fight over who controls the wallet of the American worker.

Let's do the math. If the tip and overtime deduction is worth $14 million annually to the federal government, that's $14 million in lost revenue. Killin says that's a fair trade for keeping money in the hands of the middle class. Crank implies that changing it now risks economic disruption.

Who's right? That depends on who you think needs the money more. The people earning under $1 million, or the corporations earning over?

The 5th District is a swing vote. It’s not solidly red, and it’s not solidly blue. It’s a place where the middle class lives, works, and pays taxes. And in this election, they get to decide where that tax money goes.

Keep it simple. You earn your money. You pay your taxes. Who gets the rest?

That’s the question.