By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
BROWNSVILLE, Texas | It came in a conversation a few days ago. We heard him say it and we left it for another day. The topic then was the 2024 election and candidates for the 34th Congressional District seat held at present by Democrat Vicente Gonzalez.
Throwing out the characterization was well-known politician Carlos Cascos (shown in photo above).
It was his opinion that the district - and in particular Cameron County - was turning "purple;" that is neither red as in rabid Republican nor blue as in die-hard Democrat. Yes, purple is the color you get when you mix red & blue.
But is it so?
Is the belief grounded in anything substantive. We couldn't find it, other than in thinking it could be happening. And we base that on visible pro-Republican actions such as the Trump trains and the recent victories at the polls by Republican candidates. Yes, you had a few of those.
He's not a candidate yet, although Cascos admits he's considering a run against well-funded (and much younger) Gonzalez.
Cascos has said he'll make an announcement on Labor Day, which comes around this year on Sept. 4th - in less than two weeks, btw.
It's likely true that there are more residents here who would label themselves Republicans. The recent Brownsville City Commission election had candidate Susan Rubalcava, a pro-Trump resident who made no bones about her allegiance to the indicted former president. She lost, but she made plenty of noise.
Is that what is buoying Cascos, a former Cameron County Judge and Texas Secretary of State? Does he feel it, it being a sense that he may actually have a shot in the heavily-Democrat district Gonzalez won last year by some 10,000 votes over beet-red candidate Mayra Flores (shown in photo above alongside Congressman Vicente Gonzalez)?
He's not saying.
What Cascos is doing is staying in the public eye, commenting often on local blogs as well as making appearances on podcasts, opining on their topics when not actually a guest.
Who knows about the "purple" assignation?
One thing is evident: more candidates flying the Republican banner are coming out of the tool shed woodwork, eternal hopefuls such as Brownsville's Laura E. Cisneros and Raymondville's Mauro Garza - both political greenhorns.
Still, what the ever-astute Cascos is saying may be true.
It also could be false...
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