Senator Tony Exum Contact information

Tony Exum Sr., born on June 16, 1952, in Raleigh, North Carolina, is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Colorado Senate. He represents District 11, which includes all or parts of Colorado Springs, Cimarron Hills, and Stratmoor in El Paso County.

Exum graduated from the University of Southern Colorado with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1994. Before his political career, he served as a firefighter for thirty-five years and worked as a battalion chief.

Exum’s political career began when he received the Democratic nomination to run for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 17th district in the 2012 election. He defeated Republican nominee Mark H. Barker, Libertarian nominee Susan Quilleash, and American Constitution nominee Barry Forest Pace in the election. However, Republican nominee Catherine Roupe defeated Exum in the 2014 election.

During the 2016 election, Exum was endorsed by President Barack Obama and defeated Roupe and Quilleash in the general election. He won reelection in the 2018 election against Roupe. He defeated Republican nominee Rob Blancken and Libertarian nominee Quilleash in the 2020 election.

In the 2022 election, Exum won the Democratic nomination for a seat in the Colorado Senate against Yolanda Avila. In the general election, Exum defeated Republican Sen. Dennis Hisey.

During Exum’s tenure in the state house, he served as chair of the Government committee and served on the Education, and Transportation and Local committees. He currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Local Government & Housing Committee and is a member of the Transportation & Energy Committee.

Exum has lived in Southeast Colorado Springs for more than 60 years. After serving more than 35 years as a firefighter with the Colorado Springs Fire Department and rising to the rank of Battalion Chief, Tony retired in 2010. He then won election in 2012 to serve in the Colorado House of Representatives, as the Representative from District 17 – covering Southeast Colorado Springs. Tony won election again in 2016, 2018, and 2020. While in the House, Tony sat on the House Education Committee and served as Chair of the House Transportation & Local Government Committee.

From running into burning buildings, to passing legislation ensuring that every child gets to start the school day with a full stomach, public service has been the driving motivation behind Tony’s entire adult life. In past sessions, Tony sponsored bills to extend the breakfast-after-the-bell program in some public schools, so students can still be served breakfast even if they arrive at school after the first bell (when the breakfast program would otherwise have ended); require landlords give tenants a copy of the signed rental agreement and receipts when rent is paid; pay for the testing of the levels of lead in drinking water of public schools; and help active duty military members and veterans receive mental health treatments, substance abuse treatments, and other helpful services before court proceedings. During his final years in the House, Tony passed bills to prevent further contamination of our public waters from toxic PFAS chemicals, help youths in foster care get driving lessons paid for so they can get their driver’s licenses, raise the pay of National Guard members who get called up by the Governor into emergency service, and help people who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis get rental or mortgage payment assistance.

Tony believes that opportunity must be available to all Coloradans, not just the privileged few. Senator Exum will continue working on these issues and other priorities: helping students, low-income families, people of color, the elderly, first responders, military veterans, and everyone in Senate District 11.