The race for Colorado House District 17 is headed toward an epic rematch this fall.

Two years ago, Republican Rep. Kit Roupe unseated incumbent Democrat Tony Exum by a few hundred votes. Exum is trying to win back the seat that encompasses southeast Colorado Springs.

“We had a good month,” Exum said of raising $31,255 in August, according to campaign finance reports filed this week for the Nov. 8 election. “We’re connecting with voters and finding out what’s important to them, sharing my passion for helping and asking them the question: ‘Do they care enough to cast their vote or to get involved in the election process?’ ”

Exum blames a low voter turnout for his 2014 loss in a district that has changed hands every two years for the past decade.

The last time either party won the seat for two consecutive terms was in the November 2006 election.

Roupe is optimistic despite the fact that historically presidential election years favor Democrats in the district.

She raised $11,880 in August and had $37,653 in her campaign fund at the beginning of September. She noted that Exum outspent her in 2012, too, but that voters appreciated her campaign message.

“We’ve done a lot on jobs and the economy in the last two years, and we’re starting to see some of the results there along Powers Boulevard,” Roupe said, noting her campaign has made its way through the district once and is again knocking on doors with a simple message about what she has done the past two years and will do with another term.

“We have to make sure our families can go to work both first and second shift,” Roupe said. “If I’m going to be a working parent or a working family, I need to have affordable, reliable, safe child care.”

Exum is holding a volunteer canvas Saturday, where he will buy lunch for those who spend a few hours on his behalf knocking on doors in the district.

“It’s always a tough race because of the district that I serve,” Exum said. “The people are good, hardworking people, a lot of low-income folks that are just trying to make ends meet, but really care about the community. We are trying to change that trend of low voter participation by challenging them to honor the people that fought for their right to vote by participating in the election process.”

Susan Quilleash, a Libertarian, has $524 in her account. She has run several times for House District 17.

In House District 18, El Paso County’s only House Democrat is trying to retain his seat.

Rep. Pete Lee raised $9,000 in August and has $49,392 in his campaign account as he prepares to face off with a late challenger after Sonya Rose dropped out last month.

Lee’s new challenger, Cameron Forth, put $2,000 into his campaign last month and has almost $2,500 after a few weeks of being active in the campaign. Norman “Paotie” Dawson, the Libertarian in the race, did not report raising any funds.

In the remaining General Assembly races in El Paso County, Democrats have failed to raise significant funds to challenge Republican incumbents.

For example, Rep. Dan Nordberg has $22,060 in his campaign account heading into September, while Democrat Chris Walters hasn’t raised anything, according to the Sept. 1 campaign finance report filed with the secretary of state.

Larry Liston raised and spent almost $70,000 in the primary for House District 16. He defeated incumbent Rep. Janak Joshi and has $7,300 in his campaign account heading into September, but the Libertarian candidate in the race, John Hjersman, has nothing in his account.

Bob Gardner raised and spent more than $90,000 in his Senate District 12 Republican primary against Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt. Now with $9,000 in the bank heading into November, Gardner faces a Libertarian candidate who also hasn’t raised anything.

Dave Williams, who is trying to fill the seat Klingenschmitt vacated when he decided to run for Senate, has $13,587 in his account and will face Democrat Sharon Huff, who has $445 in her account.

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Contact Megan Schrader: 286-0644

Twitter @CapitolSchrader

Rep. Kit Roupe (left) and Tony Exum (right)

Thomas Exum Sr.