Colleagues remember Carlos Cascos

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Many people are mourning the passing of former Cameron County judge and Secretary of State Carlos Cascos.

He was a well-known political figure who dedicated his years of service to improving the Rio Grande Valley.

Cascos passed away Wednesday after being involved in a crash on South Padre Island.
According to Justice of the Peace Linda Salazar, the cause of death was cardiac arrest, and he had a history of heart disease.

Cascos spent over 30 years as a public servant, including Cameron County commissioner, county judge and Secretary of State.

County elections administrator Remi Garza was one of many who witnessed Cascos’ diverse career.

“I knew him when I started working for the county. He was a county commissioner and then I saw him work as the county judge and then ultimately Secretary of State. I saw him as, you know, a public servant. I saw him as a candidate. I got to see a lot of aspects of Carlos Cascos," said Garza.

In his storied tenure, Cascos notably switched to the Republican Party in 2014.

Garza explains the change was not one in ideals but staying true to them.

"He always said that he didn’t move away from the party. The party moved away from him. I think that anybody that knew him would recognize that he was a very conservative politician. He was always concerned about the bottom line.”

Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño remembers Cascos as someone who welcomed all opinions.

"While we were political opponents and we didn’t agree on everything, we never disagreed in an uncivil way," he said.

Despite being his competitor for Cameron County Judge in 2018 and 2022, Treviño recounts being especially close with Cascos and that he was a major influence in his life.

“I knew George Cascos pretty much the entire day of my life. His family and my family were close friends since I was a young kid.”

Morgan Graham Aiken was another close friend of Cascos. She shared her personal insight for everyone to remember him by.

“Whether it was which pothole to fill or balancing a budget or lastly, addressing corruption, he was honest to a fault and I would say that many would agree with that assessment as well," she said.

She says Cascos should be remembered fondly for his service to the Valley.

Numerous projects like the Veterans International Bridge would not have passed without his help.