A member of the New Democratic Party, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Prince George-North in 1991 and re-elected in 1996, serving until 2001.

Ramsey was born in a suburb of Milwaukee, the son of a manager of a steel fabricating plant and councilman.

He started his post-secondary education in chemical engineering at Northwestern University, but after two years switched to literature, receiving a bachelor's (Carroll College) and master's (University of Illinois) degree in English.

He met Hazel at Carroll College and they moved to the University of British Columbia so he could start a Ph.D.

He was almost immediately involved in the new union, and treasurer of the provincial College Faculties Federation.