Edward Casso Explained

Edward Casso
State House:Colorado
District:32nd
Term Start:January 10, 2007[1]
Term End:January 2013
Preceded:Val Vigil
Succeeded:Dominick Moreno
Birth Place:Thornton, Colorado
Spouse:Selena
Party:Democratic

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]

Biography

Born in Thornton, Colorado, Casso earned a bachelor's degree in political philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1997. 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 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]

Legislative career

2006 election

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]

2007 legislative session

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, was killed in a Senate committee;[10] 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.[11]

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]

2008 legislative session

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]

2008 election

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]

2009 legislative session

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]

2010 legislative session

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]

2012 legislative session

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]

2016 Congressional election

Casso formed an exploratory committee for the 2016 election to the United States House of Representatives in .[33]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: House Journal - January 10, 2007 . December 8, 2007 . Colorado General Assembly .
  2. Web site: Edward Casso (HD 32) . April 23, 2008 . Colorado House Democrats . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071013211218/http://cohousedems.typepad.com/my_weblog/edward-casso-hd-32.html . October 13, 2007 . mdy-all .
  3. Web site: State House District 32 . April 6, 2008 . COMaps . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080304221257/http://www.comaps.org/district32h.html . March 4, 2008 . mdy-all .
  4. Web site: Representative Edward Casso . April 6, 2008 . Project Vote Smart.
  5. News: Edward . Casso . Candidate profile: Edward Casso . YourHub.com . September 7, 2006 . April 23, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110929221827/http://denver.yourhub.com/CommerceCity/Stories/News/Government/Story~122382.aspx . September 29, 2011 . mdy-all .
  6. News: Lynn . Bartels . Citizen Legislator, February 8 . Rocky Mountain News . February 7, 2008 . April 23, 2008 .
  7. News: Editorial Board . State House races . Denver Post . October 7, 2006 . April 23, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110524061420/http://www.denverpost.com/dempsey/ci_4448954 . May 24, 2011 . mdy .
  8. News: Editorial Board . Our choices for the Colorado House . Rocky Mountain News . October 12, 2006 . April 23, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20061201094305/http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/editorials/article/0%2C2777%2CDRMN_23964_5059375%2C00.html . December 1, 2006 .
  9. Web site: House Committees of Reference . April 6, 2008 . Colorado General Assembly.
  10. News: Staff Reports . Under the dome . Denver Post . April 12, 2007 . April 23, 2008 .
  11. News: Jennifer . Brown . Don't mess with CSAP, panel says . Denver Post . March 9, 2007 . April 23, 2008 .
  12. News: Mark P. . Couch . Jennifer Brown . Gunman: "You're gonna pay" . Denver Post . July 17, 2007 . April 27, 2008 .
  13. News: Dan . Frosch . Troopers Kill Gunman Near Office of Colorado's Governor . New York Times . July 17, 2007 . April 27, 2008 .
  14. News: Staff Reports . 32-Year-Old Thornton Man Shot, Killed Inside State Capitol . TheDenverChannel.com . July 17, 2007 . April 27, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071010064537/http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/13691120/detail.html . October 10, 2007 . mdy-all .
  15. Web site: Health Care Task Force . April 27, 2008 . Colorado Legislative Council .
  16. Web site: Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Reform Commission . April 27, 2008 . Colorado Legislative Council .
  17. LARASA Honors Two House Democrats Today . Colorado House Democrats . October 5, 2007 . April 23, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100511034845/http://cohousedems.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/10/larasa-honors-t.html . May 11, 2010 . mdy-all .
  18. Web site: Bernie Valdez Awards Luncheon . April 23, 2008 . Latin American Research And Service Agency . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070822051909/http://www.larasa.org/events/bva.htm . August 22, 2007 .
  19. House Democrats Elect Andy Kerr to Majority Whip "The next generation of Democratic leadership" . Colorado House Democrats . November 9, 2007 . April 23, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100511025201/http://cohousedems.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/11/house-democrats.html . May 11, 2010 . mdy-all .
  20. Web site: House Committees of Reference . April 6, 2008 . Colorado General Assembly.
  21. News: Joe . Hanel . Tribes ask Capitol to drop ed bill . Cortez Journal . April 12, 2007 . May 10, 2008 .
  22. News: Carol . Berry . Fast College Fast Jobs program comes to a halt . Indian Country Today . April 12, 2007 . May 10, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080516094642/http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096417214 . May 16, 2008 . dead . mdy .
  23. Web site: Colorado Statewide Cumulative Report - 2008 Primary Election . November 8, 2008 . Colorado Secretary of State .
  24. News: Editorial Board . Post's picks in Colorado's House of Representatives . Denver Post . October 17, 2008 . November 1, 2008 .
  25. House Democrats Unveil 2009 Committee Chairs & Assignments . November 18, 2008 . Colorado House Democrats . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100103101139/http://cohousedems.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/11/house-democrats-unveil-2009-committee-chairs-assignments.html . January 3, 2010 . mdy .
  26. News: Jeremy . Pelzer . Full list of 2009 Statehouse leadership positions . PolitickerCO.com . November 6, 2008 . November 9, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090108184028/http://www.politickerco.com/jeremypelzer/2783/full-list-2009-statehouse-leadership-positions . January 8, 2009 .
  27. News: Lynn . Bartels . Lawmaker seeks state holiday to mark Sept. 11 . Rocky Mountain News . December 29, 2008 . December 29, 2008 .
  28. News: Nicholas . Riccardi . Lawmaker determined to make 9/11 a state holiday . Denver Post . January 26, 2009 . February 22, 2009 .
  29. News: Lynn . Bartels . Democratic rep loses post after ripping Ritter . Denver Post . January 28, 2010 . January 8, 2010 .
  30. Web site: Colorado State Representative Edward Casso - General Information - Ballotpedia.
  31. Web site: CO - Election Results - Colorado Secretary of State . November 10, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170314203900/http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/43032/111283/en/summary.html . March 14, 2017 . dead .
  32. Web site: State House 2012 Election Results - Denver Post . November 10, 2012 . July 8, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140708040426/http://data.denverpost.com/election/results/state-senate/2012/ . dead .
  33. Web site: House Democrats to recruit Andrew Romanoff to run again . November 18, 2014 . November 18, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141118124149/http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2014/11/13/andrew-romanoff-take-break-gear-16-campaign/115193/ . dead .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Edward Casso".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.