Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos is leaving and being replaced by a former utility regulator with business ties on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday that Rolando Pablos will become Texas' chief elections officer in January. Pablos is the former CEO of Borderplex Alliance, an El Paso-based economic development organization.
Abbott made Cascos the first nominee of his administration after being elected governor in 2014. Cascos oversaw changes to weaken Texas' voter ID law before the November elections after a federal appeals court found the requirements discriminatory.
Spokeswoman Alicia Pierce said Cascos is returning to Brownsville, where he was a county judge. She didn't provide more details about his departure.
Pablos currently heads the Texas Racing Commission and is a past member of the Public Utility Commission.
