Mostyn, age 45, is a U.S. Army veteran, instructor for the Department of Defense and Realtor. He also had a career as an actor and model.
Hear from the candidate
Please tell voters about yourself.
I live on the Far West Side and graduated summa cum laude in 2 years with a BASc from the University of Arizona (Intelligence Studies, Political Science). My Master of Arts was also at the UoA, top of my class (International Security, Political Science). I have been an entrepreneur since I was 9, served in the Army as a Geospatial Intelligence Analyst, was Soldier of the Year 2 consecutive years, before being scouted to do modeling/acting in New York City. During and after parting from the entertainment
industry, I served as an Executive/Management Consultant, returned to the Department of Defense to teach, am a Certified Master Instructor, and later deployed as a Subject Matter Expert/Senior Analyst & Operator. Returning Stateside, I continued as a SME for DOD before becoming a full-time Realtor. My expertise is solving problems and that is what I will do for Texans.
What three issues do you consider to be most pressing for your district and how do you plan to address them?
Securing the Border is a top priority and a constant concern for all Texans.
For top 3: We need to fix our public school system. School choice makes sense; let parents choose where their tax dollars are spent on their children. But this will not fix a broken system that is failing the next generation. We need to revamp our system/approach from top-to-bottom, standardize expectations and curriculum, and
restore order and discipline to our classrooms.
All property taxes must be lowered/eliminated. This will alleviate mortgages so folks can afford to buy, lower rents/business leases so that living, goods, and services are affordable, and help people save money so they can get ahead and achieve the Texas Dream.
We must finish our roads/highways and our electric grid. We pay more for insurance, taxes, healthcare and everything needed to live, yet sit longer in traffic with no end in sight and receive texts that are grid is short on electricity. This is unacceptable and must be solved immediately. People and businesses are rapidly moving to Texas, roads will be more congested and our modern lives depend on electricity.
There is a labor shortage, a lack of skills needed to meet this demand, and we are not educating the next generation to take on these tasks. This is one of many reasons why we need to fix education system. Fix our schools and we can lower crime, train our workforce, and ensure that we have roads, electricity, and the infrastructure needed to keep Texas the greatest State in the US and the most powerful and beneficial economy in the world.
Values/traditions in Texas are what made us great. Texas is the Foundation of the Nation. We need to repair our foundation, because it’s being eroded by outside
values that don’t align with Texas.
Do you support the creation of a school voucher program? If so, what specifics are you looking for? Are you willing to leave the next session without approving additional public school funding?
School vouchers are the Texas way; let Texans choose where their money goes, to the school that best fits their child’s needs. It needs to be simple: A head-count is provided and the State will send the appropriate dollars. The ISDs need to rein in their debt and take care of their teachers. Stadiums are great, but our constitution states the Texas House will pay for education, nothing else. We need to focus on education, stop making this complicated, stop reinventing the wheel, and focus on mastering the
core topics. We need to hold parents, students, and teachers accountable; enforce truancy so kids don’t get into bad crowds; and we must uphold the standard of a passing grade — there is no D — there is only A, B, C, and Fail. Stop setting up kids for failure in life, educate them. Schools need to learn via pencil, paper, and books — not technology — that is later in life. Does education stop when the lights go out? No,
kids need to know how to read, analyze, and research the old-school way because it works their brain in areas skipped by technology. We need to get serious about education.
Describe how you plan to be an effective lawmaker in a governing body where leadership controls much of the agenda.
I have been a problem solver my entire life. The voters of my district and the people of Texas can rest assured that I will find a way to get common sense legislation across the finish line. Things are shifting in Texas; folks are tired and getting angry with the status quo, the good-ole-boys, and the lobbyists that have their own interests at heart. We are sent to represent our Districts, to represent our constituents, and I will hold true to my oath. Not every battle will be won; not every need requires another taxpayer’s
dollar, sometimes all we have to do is move the glass to a different part of the table so that it stops falling off the edge and making a mess.
I bring a creative, analytical mind to the Legislative Table; one that can see the forest and the tree simultaneously. My experience in solving problems from the border to the battlefield; from a financial crisis to helping someone buy their first house; from mentoring a young person or an adult; from reviving a business from collapse, to repairing one’s relationship with their family.
No matter the situation, I am a problem solver, and this is what I promise the voters of Texas House District 117 and Texans of all backgrounds and beliefs.
How would you solicit input and feedback from residents in your district?
I will remain in constant communication and always stay available. When constituents have a need, I will answer their call or get back to them right away — unlike their current situation. I will hold forums, town halls, Zoom calls, and talk to people one-on one when I am out-and-about. I will ensure that the people are heard, that their expectations are set and met, and that I get things done.
