Brian Mortimore: My Story, My Vision for Texas

Who I Am

I’m Brian Mortimore, a technologist, innovator, and proud Texan running for governor to make our state the freest, most prosperous place in America. I’m not a career politician or a household name … and that’s exactly why I’m here. As a political outsider, I bring a fresh perspective, grounded in over 20 years of solving complex problems in technology and a deep connection to Texas values and culture. My life, from my early days building networks to leading cutting-edge AI solutions at DataStax, has been about creating systems that work for people. My family—my wife Monica, our children William, Christina, Austin, Lucas and Mia   and our shared experiences, like the miracle of Mia’s birth, have shaped my belief that faith, resilience, and innovation can overcome any challenge. I’m running to bring that same spirit to Texas, connecting with every Texan to build a future where freedom thrives.

My Life Story: A Texan Journey

I’ve spent my life building, innovating, and serving, with roots that run deep in Texas and America. Growing up, I was fascinated by how things worked… networks, systems, communities. That curiosity led me to a career in technology, starting in the mid-’90s at places like Marion Salem Data Center, where I built IP networks for government access, and Arthur Andersen, where I developed training modules to empower workers. By 2000, I was in Austin, designing high-availability architectures at Education Networks of America, laying the groundwork for my love affair with Texas’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Austin became home, not just a place to work. It’s where I co-founded Hyper9, building tools for virtualized enterprises, and where I joined DataStax in 2015, becoming Principal Architect. At DataStax, we launched Astra, a cloud-native platform that’s transformed how enterprises manage data, and I invented the Zero Downtime Migrator, revolutionizing migrations for global companies. I’ve worked with Fortune 500 clients, from Microsoft to EMC, and every major communications provider, delivering solutions that drive efficiency and growth. But my proudest moments aren’t just professional, they’re personal.

In 2010, my wife Monica and I faced a defining moment. At 24 weeks pregnant, Monica’s health crisis led to the premature birth of our daughter, Mia Nessa. For 11 minutes, Mia had no heartbeat. Doctors prepared us to let her go, but against all odds, she came back to life. A miracle we named her for, meaning “my miracle.” That day, in an Austin hospital, I learned the power of faith and the fragility of life. It’s a story every Texan can relate to: the fight for family, the fight for life, the trust in something greater, and the resilience to keep going. Mia’s survival reminds me daily that unlikely outcomes are possible with faith and determination.

My career also took me into the heart of Texas’s elections systems. At Hart InterCivic, Scytl, and Tenex, I designed voter registration tools, ePollBooks, and secure technologies, giving me a detailed first-hand understanding as to how broken our election systems are, as well as the experience required to actually fix them. From Austin to the rest of the world, I’ve seen how technology can either empower communities or can serve to put them in bondage. I have also seen how our existing governmental systems are wholly inadequate for the technologies that are with us today and especially the emergent. technologies just on our horizon. I am determined to use my extensive experience as a technologist and a systems architect to ensure that Texas remains the technological and innovation leader of the world. 

Why I’m Running

I’m running because Texas deserves better than politics as usual. As a technologist, I see systems and how they break, how they can be fixed. Our state’s systems are creaking: property taxes threaten homeowners, education stifles potential, and government overreach dims our freedom. I’m not here to tinker around the edges. I’m here to rebuild, using the same innovative thinking that launched the most scalable and available databases on the planet and the most powerful AI products on the market. As an outsider, I’m free from special interests, beholden only to you, the people of Texas. It’s my connection to this state and all y’all, its people, its spirit that drives me to fight for a Texas where every family can own their home, every child can learn their way, and every community can thrive. The free fair Texas we were promised.

My Vision: A Texas Where Freedom Thrives

My platform is a movement to restore Texas’s promise. It’s built on bold, systemic changes that empower you:

• No Residential Property Taxes: I’ll eliminate property taxes on your home, saving you $3,900 a year on average. Your home is yours, not the state’s to rent. We’ll shift to commercial taxes, ensuring businesses like Amazon invest in Texas while small shops are protected.
• Crowd-Sourced Budgeting: Using secure blockchain technology, you’ll vote on how your tax dollars are spent—roads, schools, safety—cutting waste by up to 20% and putting power back in your hands.
• Learning Freedom: I’ll replace our one-size-fits-all schools with a mastery-based system, giving every student $10,000 in vouchers to learn at their pace—public, private, or homeschool. Education should unlock potential, not limit it.
• Homestead Freedom: My Homestead Freedom Act will cut red tape, letting you start businesses from home without fees or delays, fueling entrepreneurship across Texas.
• Water Freedom: I’ll decentralize water management, empowering local districts to secure resources fairly, free from Austin’s control.
• Energy Freedom: By deregulating nuclear and oil, and investing $15 billion in our grid, we’ll make Texas the world’s energy leader, creating 50,000 jobs and ending blackouts.
• Firearms Freedom: I’ll protect your Second Amendment rights and grow our defense economy, making Texas a hub for firearms innovation and military production.
• Election Integrity: Paper ballots, in-person voting, and local control will ensure your vote counts, restoring trust in our elections.

Connecting to Texans

I’m a Texan by choice and by heart. Living in Austin, I’ve seen our state’s potential—and its challenges—up close. Like the retiree in San Antonio struggling with rising property taxes, I know the fear of losing what you’ve built. Like the parent in Houston wanting better schools, I share your frustration with systems that hold kids back. Like the rancher in West Texas fighting for water rights, I understand the need for local control. My work in elections technology taught me how much Texans value trust and fairness, whether in a voting booth or a tax bill. My family’s story—Monica’s courage, Mia’s miracle—mirrors the resilience I see in every corner of this state, from El Paso to Tyler.

As an innovator, I’ve built systems that work for people, not bureaucrats. At DataStax, I led teams to create solutions for global companies, and I’ll bring that same problem-solving to Austin. As an outsider, I’m not tied to the old ways—I’m here to challenge them, just like Texans have always done, from the Alamo to today. My love for America, rooted in its promise of liberty, fuels my commitment to keep Texas a beacon of freedom.

Why Me?

I’m not a politician; I’m a doer. My career proves I can deliver: I launched technologies, transformed enterprises, and secured elections for Texans. My personal life shows I understand what’s at stake: family, faith, and the fight for what matters. I’m running to give every Texan the freedom to live, work, and dream without government in the way. My platform isn’t just ideas—it’s a plan, backed by numbers and built for you. With $39.8 billion from fair tax shifts, we’ll cover the $37.2 billion needed to eliminate property taxes and fund schools, with room to grow our economy.

Join Me

Texas is at a crossroads. We can keep limping along with high taxes and bloated systems, or we can choose freedom, fairness, and prosperity. I’m asking you to join me… not as a follower, but as a partner, a fellow traveler. Share this vision. Talk to your neighbors. Demand a Texas that works for you. Together, we’ll build a state where your home is yours, your kids soar, and your future is bright. I’m Brian Mortimore, and I’m ready to fight for Texas. Are you with me?