Dave Mann

Dave Mann has been with the Observer since 2003. Before that, he worked as a reporter in Fort Worth and Washington, D.C. He was born and raised in Philadelphia. He thinks border collies are the world’s greatest dogs, and believes in the nourishing powers of pickup basketball.

State of Texas: The Road to 500 ExecutionsMay 17, 2013
Texas will soon execute its 500th person since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. Full Story
State of Texas: Who Pays How Much In TaxesApr 18, 2013
Texas' tax system is one of the most regressive in the country, meaning it falls especially hard on the poor. Full Story
Oops: The Top 10 Perry GaffesFeb 02, 2012
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State of Texas: The Road to 500 ExecutionsMay 17, 2013
Texas will soon execute its 500th person since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. Full Story
Hot List: Day 127 of the LegislatureMay 14, 2013
The Lead: The Legislature went after mucus yesterday. That would be Michael Quinn Sullivan (often referred to as MQS—or mucus) who leads the tea [...] Full Story
Observer Story Wins SPJ AwardApr 24, 2013
When Texas Observer staff writer Emily DePrang first met Josh Gravens in early 2012, his life was in shambles. The 25-year-old husband and father [...] Full Story
State of Texas: Who Pays How Much In TaxesApr 18, 2013
Texas' tax system is one of the most regressive in the country, meaning it falls especially hard on the poor. Full Story
The Arson Files: Ed Graf Wins New TrialMar 28, 2013
Texas’ highest criminal court on Wednesday overturned the arson conviction of Ed Graf who’s served nearly 25 years of a life sentence for a [...] Full Story

Election Night RecapNov 06, 2012
During this exciting election night, the Observer has you covered. We will be live-blogging and tweeting the election results starting around 4 p.m. today (November 6th). You can find our up-to-the-minute posts at this very URL. Full Story
Condemned Inmate: Prison Officials Won’t Let Guards Speak OutOct 25, 2012
Update: Willie Pondexter was executed as scheduled on March 3. Willie Pondexter has spent nearly 15 years on death row. Now some of the [...] Full Story
Who Really Runs Texas?Oct 02, 2012
It’s hard to overstate the power of money in Texas politics. If you’re wealthy, the state offers numerous ways to buy influence and implement [...] Full Story
Live Democratic State Convention CoverageJun 08, 2012
Update Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Dems Elect Hinojosa, Wrap Convention Texas Democrats elected Gilberto Hinojosa of Cameron County state party chair this afternoon toward [...] Full Story
Challenging the System from the InsideMay 25, 2012
Congress isn’t exactly popular. Its job-approval ratings have hovered below 30 percent for years, and lately, the numbers have sunk especially low; just 15 [...] Full Story