Ross Ramsey

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

TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey June 9, 2012

Our reports from the Republican convention in Fort Worth here, here and here, and from the Democratic convention in Houston here and here, Batheja on what the losers in the first round of the U.S. Senate primaries will do, Murphy compares campaign spending and results, Galbraith finds the state's cities raising rates for increasingly scarce water, Ramshaw on a California hospital company's past and its move into Texas, Aaronson maps food stamps and food insecurity in Texas, and Dehn's Weekend Insider looks at transportation funding and political conventions: The best of our best content from June 4 to 8, 2012. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Texas Democrats Look Hopefully to the Future

By Ross Ramsey and Julián Aguilar June 8, 2012

Julián and Joaquin Castro and Houston Mayor Annise Parker — at the Texas Democratic Party's convention in Houston — have some ideas about what Democrats will have to do to be viable again. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich / Todd Wiseman
Why State Conventions, Besides the Funny Hats?

By Ross Ramsey June 8, 2012

Conventions might not be absolutely necessary to conduct the state's political business, but they're important to the partisans who, just like other kinds of enthusiasts, find strength in numbers. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
A Political Poll, in Double-Time

By Ross Ramsey June 8, 2012

The high points from the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
GOP Convention Arrives in Midst of Runoff Season

By Ross Ramsey and Morgan Smith June 7, 2012

The Republican Party of Texas gathers in Fort Worth on Thursday to start a three-day convention that will feature candidates, national conservative figures and party officials. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
State Agencies Ordered to Propose Budget Cuts

By Ross Ramsey June 5, 2012

The Legislative Budget Board — headed by House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst — is asking state agencies to assume they'll have 10 percent less to spend in the next budget than they have now. Full Story
Inside Intelligence: Health Care, Anyone? Schools?

By Ross Ramsey June 5, 2012

For this week's nonscientific survey of government and political insiders, we asked questions from the most recent University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll on federal health care laws, Texas public schools and anti-tax pledges. Full Story
A House of Strangers Calls for a Shrewd Leader

By Ross Ramsey June 4, 2012

Races for speaker of the House are based on relationships. How does that work when there are so many freshmen and sophomore members in the House? Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
With Texas Republicans, It's the Game of the Name

By Ross Ramsey June 1, 2012

Conventional wisdom is that candidates with Hispanic surnames have a hard time winning statewide Republican primaries, but that appears to be fading. The problem now is down the ballot, where they're trying to get re-elected. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Straus Happy About Results, Confident He'll Remain Speaker

By Ross Ramsey May 30, 2012

House Speaker Joe Straus said Wednesday that he was happy with the election results in spite of the fact that he "lost a few friends." He added that he's confident he will get another term as speaker. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich