Edward Casso | |
---|---|
Member of the ColoradoHouseofRepresentatives from the 32nd district | |
In office January 10, 2007 [1] –January 2013 | |
Preceded by | Val Vigil |
Succeeded by | Dominick Moreno |
Personal details | |
Born | 1974 (age 47–48) Thornton,Colorado |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Selena |
Edward Casso (born 1974 [2] ) is a former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2006,Casso represented House District 32,which encompasses suburbs of Denver,Colorado in northwestern Adams County,from 2006 to 2012. [3]
Born in Thornton,Colorado,Casso earned a bachelor's degree in political philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1997. [4] He was the first member of his family to attend college. While at CU,Casso was president of the CU College Democrats. [2] There,he was a precinct committeeperson for the Boulder County Democratic Party [4] and a member of the vacancy committee that appointed Ron Tupa to the Colorado State Senate. [2]
After moving to Adams County,Casso served as a precinct committeeperson,co-captain of house district 32-D,and vice-chair and later chair of the Adams County Young Democrats. [2] He has also served as chair of the Colorado Democratic Party Outreach Commission,and worked as an intern for Congressman David Skaggs. [4]
Before being elected to the legislature,Casso worked as a teacher in an alternative high school during summers, [5] and as a substitute teacher for Denver Public Schools. [6] Casso resides in Commerce City,Colorado; [2] he and his wife,Selena,have two children:Cecelia and Aristotle. [4]
In the 2006 Colorado legislative elections,Casso defeated Republican Tracey Snyder with 57 percent of the popular vote. [3] Casso was endorsed by the Denver Post , [7] but not the Rocky Mountain News . [8]
In the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly,Casso sat on the House Education Committee and the House State,Veterans,&Military Affairs Committee. [9]
During the 2007 session,Casso sponsored two bills to revise the ways in which schools' CSAP test scores were reported. One,which would have exempted scores from special education students, [10] was killed in a Senate committee; [11] the other,which would have exempted scores for students whose parents opt the students out of the test,was killed in a House committee at Casso's request because of concerns that it would jeopardize federal school funding. [10]
Following the legislative session,Casso was present at the Colorado State Capitol during an incident in which state troopers shot and killed a mentally ill individual gunman targeting Gov. Bill Ritter. Casso observed the dead body and afterwards supported increased security,including metal detectors,for the state capitol building. [12] [13] [14] He also served on the interim legislative Health Care Task Force [15] and the Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Reform Commission between legislative sessions. [16]
In October 2007,Casso was honored by LARASA,the Latin American Research And Service Agency with the Lena L. Archuleta Education Service Award,for his work in the legislature,including a vote in committee that benefitted LARASA Learning Centers. [17] [18]
After the legislative session,Casso was elected deputy whip for the House Democratic Caucus. [19]
In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly,Casso sits on the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee and the House State,Veterans,&Military Affairs Committee. [20]
After killing a bill he sponsored to extend a combined high school-community college program to school districts on the Ute Mountain and Southern Ute Indian Reservation,at the request of tribal leaders, [21] Casso is expected to travel to the reservations to discuss the program following the legislative session. [22]
Casso sought a second term in the legislature in 2008 and faced no opposition in either the August Democratic primary [23] or the November general election. [24]
For the 2009 legislative session,Casso was named to a seat on the House State,Veterans,and Military Affairs Committee and as vice-chair of the House Business Affairs Committee. [25] He was also nominated for the post of House Majority Caucus Whip,but lost the caucus' vote for the post to Rep. Claire Levy. [26] Casso has also sponsored legislation to declare September 11 a state holiday. [27] [28]
After Casso praised Gov. Bill Ritter's decision not to run for a second term in January 2010 and harshly criticized the sitting Democratic governor,House Speaker Terrance Carroll replaced Casso as vice-chair of the House Business Affairs Committee with Rep. Sara Gagliardi. [29]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2012) |
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Representative Casso announced he would not seek reelection in the 2012 General Election. [30] Casso is succeeded by former legislative aide Dominick Moreno who was elected over his Republican opponent. [31] [32]
Casso formed an exploratory committee for the 2016 election to the United States House of Representatives in Colorado's 6th congressional district . [33]
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