T-Squared: Jasper Scherer is our newest politics reporter

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Jasper Scherer, who has been covering state government and politics for Hearst’s Austin bureau since 2021, is joining The Texas Tribune as our newest politics reporter. He starts March 20.

A relentless reporter and prolific writer, Jasper has established himself as a go-to source for news about the Legislature, political races, campaign finance and more. He not only knows how to chase scoops and break stories, but also to write in depth about the intersection of politics and policy. He’s written smart accountability pieces about members of both parties, including Democrats Harold Dutton, Lina Hidalgo and Sylvester Turner and Republicans Gary Gates, Don Huffines and Tim Dunn.

Following internships at Forbes, The Washington Post and the Tampa Bay Times, Jasper joined the San Antonio Express-News in 2017 through the Hearst Journalism Fellowship. He stayed on with the company, moving to the Houston Chronicle in 2018 to cover City Hall and local politics, including Turner’s 2019 bid for a second term as mayor. Jasper moved to Austin in 2021 to cover state politics for both newspapers. He is excited to roam Texas (not to mention the hallways of the Capitol) in his new role. He joins a stellar team led by politics editor Rebekah Allen and supported by our managing editor for news and politics, Matthew Watkins.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Jasper entered Northwestern’s Medill School hoping to become a sports writer, and won a national sports-writing scholarship while there. He graduated in 2017 with a degree in journalism and political science.

Jasper is filling a position that opened when our longtime political writer Patrick Svitek recently left us to join the politics team at The Post. For nine years, Patrick worked tirelessly to understand the ins and outs of Texas politics, earning trust across the political spectrum — including from sources who were the subjects of tough, critical coverage — and from all his colleagues.

We can’t wait to welcome you to downtown Austin Sept. 5-7 for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival! Join us at Texas’ breakout politics and policy event as we dig into the 2024 elections, state and national politics, the state of democracy, and so much more. When tickets go on sale this spring, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.