Ben Mostyn is a U.S. Army veteran, instructor for the Department of Defense and realtor. He also had a career as an actor and model. He was Republicans’ nominee for Texas House District 117 in 2024.
Hear from the candidate
1. Please tell voters about yourself.
Ben Mostyn, age 47, grew up in Austin, started working at nine years old, was homeschooled until the 10th grade, and has been in management since he was 13. After high school, Ben joined the Army, and was Soldier of the Year, two consecutive years. He’s owned several businesses, been a corporate executive, and has decades of experience in problem solving. He taught at the collegiate level, is a DOD Certified Master Instructor, and spent nearly five years deployed as a subject matter expert, analyzing, advising, and solving critical issues during the War on Terror. As a Political Scientist, Ben graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona with a BASc in Intelligence Studies, and first in his class with an MA in International Security. Returning to Texas in 2019, Ben is actively engaged in the San Antonio community, assists in global affairs, real estate, and works as a Management Consultant.
2. Briefly describe your top policy priorities.
1. Fix Public Schools: We are 43rd in the Nation in education and failing our children. School Choice is great for parents with options, but fails the under-privileged. Students, parents, and teachers alike must be held accountable for success through collaboration, a focused curriculum, a complete restructuring of instructional delivery, and a fiscal responsibility that affords good teachers the pay they deserve.
2. Eliminate Property Taxes: Property taxes are crushing Texans by driving up the cost of living. The price of rents, mortgages, and business leases have skyrocketed; increasing homelessness, the cost of food, insurance, goods-and-services, and basic necessities such as daycare so that parents can maintain gainful employment.
3. Finish Our Roads & Highways: Our cost of living goes up, yet our quality of life goes down. We sit longer in traffic, getting up earlier, home later, and spend less time with our family, our friends, or just relaxing to recharge for the next day. Traffic crushes small businesses, kills our desire to shop or travel to the leisures of our community, and is consistently a top complaint by everyone in San Antonio.
4. Strengthen the Economy with Manufacturing Jobs: Aside from the military, San Antonio’s economy consists of tacos and tourism. When the government shuts down or America is too poor to travel, we suffer. Data and technology are the future, but the soul of San Antonio is traditional, and we’re not ready for Austin prices. We need blue-collar, manufacturing jobs to responsibly grow our economy.
3. What would you like to see the legislature do to make Texas cities better places to live? In what ways could state officials work better with local officials?
Enact my platform and in addition, we need a moratorium on school and municipal bonds. They sound great on the ballot, but not many people vote on bonds, or understand the financial impact. Money is requested for a project, but drives up debt in the County, and the taxes/insurances which in turn makes rents, mortgages, and business expenses higher – a cost that is passed down to each of us. This is what is causing the greater divide between the have and have-nots, the rich and the poor. I will ensure local officials get the funding, manpower, and timeliness needed to accomplish these tasks.
4. Texas has taken major steps to reshape its public education system, including allowing taxpayer dollars to fund private school tuition. What do you believe needs to happen to monitor the success of Education Savings Accounts, and to ensure every student still receives a quality education?
This is primarily the parents’ responsibility, not the State; parents must be directly involved in ensuring their child is successful. ESAs are not the sole solution; they are simply an avenue that if properly utilized, may lead to better outcomes. We HAVE to fix the entire public school system. Standardize the requirements and definition of success; upgrade the curriculum and associated syllabus; reduce the class size and balance intellectual diversity; ensure analytical development and critical thinking are taught; and raise the pay of teachers whilst reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies.
5. Reducing the burden of property taxes is expected to be a major focus of the next legislative session. Describe your ideas for balancing the needs of a growing state with state leaders’ desire to rein in that major revenue source?
The State and Municipalities need to dial-back their spending sprees; stop wasting money on a “nice-to-have,” and focus on, what-we-need. Contracts are gouging Government, and Texas has been spending like Washington, DC. Efficiencies are in order and with a commitment to fiscal responsibility, the State has the revenue to close the gap. As Texas grows, the money will be there, but only if we are wise in our spending.
