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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

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Ross Ramsey

    Tan on coming prison school cuts and online sales taxes, Root on Rick Perry's support for tax increases when he was a lawmaker, Ramshaw and Serafini on what "Perrycare" would entail, yours truly on the differences between Perry and George W. Bush, Philpott on the passions of the Paulites, Murphy and Seger unveil the Trib's Texas Public Schools Database, Hamilton on UT's answer to calls for improvements in higher ed, Galbraith on predictions that the record heat in Texas will be a long-term problem and Aguilar on the legal shootout over gun sales in Texas: The best of our best content from Aug. 22 to 26, 2011. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • Rick Perry is Not George W. Bush

    By Ross Ramsey

    Watching Rick Perry can cause flashbacks. Both he and George W. Bush were governors of Texas, but Perry isn’t running the same government Bush was running in 2000. The problems are different. Their strengths are different. And the pitch is different, too. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • Campaign Chatter

    By Ross Ramsey

    Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, says he'll seek another term in 2012. Fun facts from his announcement: "Among his younger-life experience, he worked as a paper boy, TV station copy boy, waiter, dishwasher, library clerk, and taxicab driver." Full Story 

    Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, during debate on higher education bill SB5 on May 3, 2011.
    Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera

  • Look Who's Talking

    By Ross Ramsey

    What a difference a year makes. Gov. Rick Perry wouldn't debate Bill White in the governor's race, but he's agreed to a couple of debates already in his presidential quest. Full Story 

    Gov. Rick Perry listens to U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann's speech at an event in Waterloo, Iowa, on Aug. 14, 2011.
    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • BFFs, with Numbers

    By Ross Ramsey

    It's a synergy thing. Super PACs can spend all they want to advance a candidate or cause, with certain limitations and — importantly — without talking to the candidate or the campaign. So here's Make Us Great Again, a new Perry-centric Super PAC releasing a poll of Iowa voters that shows — surprise — the governor doing well there. Full Story 

    Presidential candidate Rick Perry makes a speech at the Iowa 80 "World's Largest Truck Stop" at Walcott, Iowa on August 16, 2011.
    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • Inside Intelligence: The Other Texan

    By Ross Ramsey

    His supporters wouldn't necessarily agree, judging from our phone calls and emails, but our insiders think U.S. Rep. Ron Paul — the other Texan in the presidential race — is getting all the attention he deserves. More than a third, however, don't agree with that. Full Story 

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