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Ross Ramsey

Ross Ramsey’s staff photo

Ross Ramsey co-founded The Texas Tribune in 2009 and served as its executive editor until his retirement in 2022. He wrote regular columns on politics, government and public policy. Before joining the Tribune, he was editor and co-owner of Texas Weekly. He did a 28-month stint in government with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Before that, he reported for the Houston Chronicle, the Dallas Times Herald, as a Dallas-based freelancer for regional and national magazines and newspapers, and for radio stations in Denton and Dallas.

Latest Contributions

  • Texas Weekly's Hot List, Vol. 4

    By Ross Ramsey

    This week's look at the most competitive races on the Texas congressional and legislative ballots has two (HD-3 and HD-52) moving from Red to Orange, and three (HD-96, HD-101 and HD-102) moving in the other direction. The two downgraded races both have three candidates in them; none of the three upgraded contests has a Libertarian on board to help the Democrat by pulling votes from the Republican. Full Story 

  • Reality Check

    By Ross Ramsey

    You're looking at a strong election year if your downgraded forecasts have you picking up four to seven seats in the Texas House. Republican prognosticators are getting over some of their Labor Day exuberance (the predictions then, from the mouths of people who are usually sober about these things, was for a dozen-seat pickup). And they're learning that some of their candidates aren't perfect, a set of revelations that befalls everyone in politics around this time of the election cycle. Full Story 

  • Chris Bell: The TT Interview

    By Ross Ramsey

    The 2006 Democratic nominee for governor talks about suing Rick Perry and the Republican Governors Assocation over illegal contributions and pocketing a settlement and judgement of more than $2.4 million. Full Story 

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    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • Texas Weekly's Hot List, Vol. 3

    By Ross Ramsey

    Our latest look at the most competitive races on the Texas congressional and legislative ballots notes the withdrawal of the Libertarian from the HD-78 contest, which is now a major-party-only affair, and the emergence of a previously dormant PAC on the GOP side in HD-45. The former has been upgraded to Orange; the latter remains Yellow for the moment. Full Story 

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  • Attention Deficit

    By Ross Ramsey

    Down-ballot candidates are usually the wallflowers at the political dance, sitting in the shadows while contestants for governor hog the affections and interest of voters and political financiers. This year is no exception. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • How Things Look at the Gate

    By Ross Ramsey

    Republican Gov. Rick Perry is six points ahead of Democrat Bill White in the new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. Other numbers in that survey indicate voters might be willing to vote for a new governor but that White hasn't made the sale: 22 percent are undecided, 5 percent would vote for Libertarian Kathie Glass and — this is sort of interesting — 31 percent say they identify with the Tea Party. White got 33 percent in the poll to Perry's 39 percent — a number of some significance, since it was Perry's final percentage in 2006's four-way race for governor. Full Story