Overview:
Nancy Pelosi urged Colorado Democrats to send money and volunteers into competitive House races at Jason Crow’s annual fundraiser.
At 2026 CrowFest, held Sept. 26 at Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton, Colo., Jason Crow and his team brought out a big gun to unify the Democratic Party: former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“The mobilization on the ground makes all of the difference,” Pelosi said.
CrowFest, which launched in 2022 and has been held annually since, has grown into one of Colorado’s largest political events of the year. The event serves as a major fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado’s 6th Congressional District.
“We have been through so much together,” Crow said. “I look over across all of your faces, and I see people who have been there since day one with me — who believed in our mission of flipping this seat when no one else believed us.”
The event — named after Rep. Crow, who is currently running for a fifth term — has evolved into a broader organizing moment for Democrats across the state, as demonstrated by appearances from other Colorado candidates, including Democratic congressional nominee Manny Rutinel and U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, who is seeking reelection.
According to his campaign, this year’s CrowFest drew more than 800 donors and raised more than $250,000.
“The key here is not that we are just going to win in November,” Crow said. “We must spark a movement across Colorado and across America that’s going to bring people together.”
86-year-old California lawmaker Pelosi, who is not seeking a 21st term in Congress, told attendees that Crow does not need the same level of ground support in his district as Democrats competing in more closely contested races in Colorado and across the country. She urged supporters to direct resources and volunteers toward those districts as Democrats seek a House majority.
“Your home district may have Jason Crow, and he doesn’t need you on the ground like the next-door [neighboring district] or the next-door [neighboring district], said Pelosi, underscoring the more competitive races nearby. “We must own the ground. No waste of time, no underutilized resources, and no regrets the day after the election that we could have those two seats.”
Pelosi turned reflective, offering a story that she said captures Crow’s character and capability.
“I was the first high office person to go into Ukraine, just a matter of weeks after the invasion. I took Jason Crow with me, and he was so knowledgeable,” she said. “He represented the Armed Services Committee, on which he serves with great distinction. For him to be talking and listening to the President of Ukraine — explaining their needs, weapons-wise, personal-wise, and the two of them completely engaged — it was a beautiful sight to behold. You would have been very, very proud.”
After Pelosi’s speech, Crow took the stage a final time to explain that a portion of the money raised from CrowFest 2026 will be donated to other Democratic candidates in more competitive districts.
“There are candidates who are out on the front lines, battling it out, being crushed by Super PAC money and dark money,” Crow said. “We have raised a lot of money through this event that we’re going to send to these candidates. What I’m going to do is I’m going to allocate an additional $20,000 from my campaign to these candidates, and I want you all to match it. I will match every additional dollar you give tonight.”
For attendees interviewed at CrowFest, issues at the top of mind included the cost of living, the national deficit, health care, education and Social Security. Several also described limiting the power of President Donald Trump and preserving democratic institutions as priorities heading into November.
“Trump needs to go,” said 80-year-old Jack Wesoky of Centennial. “The top of the list is probably the preservation of democracy for the generations to come.”
Others emphasized the high stakes of the upcoming midterm election in November.
“This election is going to be a breaking point,” said 64-year-old Vince Benton of Centennial. “This is going to be a real defining moment in U.S. history.”
Pelosi ended by predicting Democratic gains in Colorado and setting an ambitious goal for the party nationally.
“I imagine that we could pick up at least two additional seats in Colorado,” Pelosi said. “Now we need three to earn the majority in the House. I want 30.”
