Announcing our next round of can’t-miss speakers for November’s TribFest

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We’re four months out from this year’s Texas Tribune Festival, and there’s no shortage of big conversations for Texans to have. When we gather in downtown Austin Nov. 13-15, we’ll hear from civic leaders and changemakers about the forces shaping our state and our world. But most importantly, we’ll be in dialogue with one another about how we work toward the best future for Texas and our communities.

We’re thrilled to announce 20 influential voices in the worlds of politics, policy, journalism and culture joining the conversation this fall, including comedian John Mulaney, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, journalist and author Kara Swisher, and U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar.

Mulaney is a three-time Emmy Award, Critics Choice award and WGA award-winning writer, comedian and actor (he’s also a constitutional law nerd; seriously, just listen to his conversation with Neal Katyal, former acting solitical general of the United States, who spoke with Mulaney for his “Courtside” podcast two years ago). Johnson is the 60th mayor of Dallas, who notably switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party in 2023, making Dallas the largest city in the U.S. with a Republican mayor. Klobuchar is Minnesota’s senior U.S. senator and serves as a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Swisher is the host of the “On with Kara Swisher” podcast, co-host of the “Pivot” podcast, editor-at-large at New York Magazine and the author of “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story.” And Escobar is the first woman elected to represent El Paso and the first of two Latinas from Texas to serve in Congress.

Other speakers joining us on TribFest stages this November are Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar; Chris Del Conte, athletics director, The University of Texas at Austin; Diego Galicia, chef and co-owner, Restaurant Mixtli; State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, , D-Austin; Sarah Isgur, senior editor, The Dispatch; Wallace Jefferson, former chief justice, Texas Supreme Court; U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Carrollton; Adam Kinzinger, former U.S. Representative, R-Illinois; Nadine Lee, CEO, Dallas Area Rapid Transit; Melissa Murray, Stokes professor of law, NYU School of Law; Annise Parker, Democratic candidate for Harris County Judge and former mayor of Houston; Ashley Parker, staff writer for The Atlantic; Dade Phelan, state representative, R-Beaumont, and former speaker of the House; Michael Sorrell, president, Paul Quinn College; and Jim Wright, chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission.

There’s so much to discuss with one another. We’ll debrief the 2025 Legislative Session along with a special session that will consider redrawing Texas’ congressional maps, addressing unfinished conservative priorities from earlier this year, and responding to the deadly Hill Country floods over the July Fourth weekend.

Every conversation is time well spent. If you’ve ever thought about coming to TribFest, this is the year.

Buy your tickets for TribFest today, and join us this November.

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Shape the future of Texas at the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin! We bring together Texas’ most inspiring thinkers, leaders and innovators to discuss the issues that matter to you. Get tickets now and join us this November.

TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.