*Travis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott during a Memorial Day event in San Antonio in 2018.*

*Emily, Coyt, Anna, Lucy and Travis during a trip to Germany last year.*

Travis Ransom recently announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in Texas’ 4th Congressional District. Travis is currently serving as the Mayor of Atlanta, Texas, Command Sergeant Major for an Expeditionary Military Intelligence Battalion in the U.S. Army Reserve, and proudly wears a ton of other titles that make him an excellent candidate for the job: father to three children, husband to Emily, member of First Baptist Church Atlanta, agent for Offenhauser Insurance, distinguished alumnus of TAMU-T, graduate of the Red River Leadership Institute, past chairman of the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council, Eagle Scout, and much, much more. It’s safe to say that Travis is a hometown hero from right here in our neck of the woods.

FSLM caught up with Travis to talk about his recent announcement to run for office:

We know that you’ve been considering this leap for a while. Why is now the right time to throw your hat in the ring?

Congressional District 4 has historically been represented by the far west end of the district. As population growth has urbanized that area, the vast majority of the district remains rural. I believe Northeast Texas needs someone from the district that shares their conservative rural values and understands the unique challenges that we face. This is an historic selection process because the locally elected party leadership are in the driver’s seat. Precinct Chairs and County Chairs work countless hours without compensation to ensure our two-party system functions. Without them, we could not hold open and free elections. This is a unique opportunity for the Congressional Executive Committee to select a candidate who will represent our rural Northeast Texas values. Because this process only involves those party officials, it minimizes the influence of special interest groups with financial interests and creates an opportunity to select a regular, working class citizen.

You’ve held a lot of different public offices, worked for a legislator, are still in the Army Reserve well after you could have retired, and have volunteered countless hours for several nonprofit boards and church committees. To say you’re a busy guy is an understatement, so why would you want to add another layer of responsibility to your plate?

I believe in servant leadership and modeling good citizenship. In the Army, I get the opportunity to work with young people doing meaningful work and shape the future leaders of our country. For me, service to my community and my country is not a job, it is a calling. Folks in Northeast Texas deserve good leaders with integrity to represent them in the legislature and provide that commonsense perspective that is often so lacking. I bring a broad range of perspective and depth and breadth of experience that other candidates may not have. When looking for a leader, finding the right person to serve in the right position at the right time is important.

*Anna and Lucy enjoy the Louisiana Drag Races with Travis and his 1991 Mercury Capri that he recently took on a trip down Route 66.*

Our founding fathers believed in representatives who would serve part-time, and then return home, not the permanent political class our current system has created. I do not want to be the forever Congressman. I think there is a time and a season to serve, and this is that time for me and for Northeast Texas.

It seems when someone gets elected and serves in D.C., they tend to change as a person and as a public figure. We like to call it “Potomac Fever,” but if you’re selected, we trust you won’t forget where you came from. What are some things you’ll focus on that could really be a game changer for Northeast Texas?

I have been all over the world and served in a variety of challenging positions through the years but never forget who I am or where I come from. Many issues impact rural Northeast Texas. I am particularly interested in expanding high speed internet. High speed internet is the next essential utility. It is as important as clean drinking water and electricity. Without high speed internet, Northeast Texas is at a disadvantage. It impacts education and has a significant impact on potential economic development projects. We also need a balanced budget. As our national debt continues to mount, our national security is undermined. We need stability in the funding of our force modernization. How many times have we seen the accordion expansion and contraction of workload at Red River Army Depot due to funding issues with Congress?

*The Ransoms in Colorado during a friend’s wedding.*

I also look forward to motivating our federal agencies to be more responsive to local leaders as we look at the long-term infrastructure needs of our region. Lake Wright Patman and interstate highways immediately come to mind. These are issues I have been following for years as a private citizen, been impacted by as a Command Sergeant Major, worked on as a legislative aide for a Texas State Senator, and continue to work on as a local Mayor.

Tell us the process it will take to become elected? If someone’s interested, how can they get involved to make sure you’re the one on the ballot in November?

There are 18 counties in Congressional District 4. Each county has precinct chairs and a county chair who are elected in the primary. They will take office for the new term on August 3 and will convene the Congressional Executive Committee on August the 8 in Sulphur Springs, Texas, at the Hopkins County Convention Center. They will take nominations that day and will vote on who will replace Congressman Ratcliffe on the ballot in November. That replacement will face a Democratic challenger on the ballot for the November general election. Congressional District 4 is considered one of the most conservative Republican districts in the nation, so whoever is selected on August 8 will likely be the next Congressman from Northeast Texas. I would encourage anyone to reach out to their precinct chairs and county chairs and ask them to support my nomination.

Anything else you want us to know?

Check out my website at www.travisransom.com where you can sign up and support the campaign.

*As part of the Cass County Delegation to the Republican State Convention, Travis attended the event in San Antonio, Texas, in 2018.*

Feature Stories

Ransom for Congress