Can an OB-GYN and engineer fix Texas healthcare and affordability?

House District 47 candidate Dr. Jennifer Mushtaler explains why expertise matters in the Texas Legislature. In this episode of @VoteLikeATexan host Justin McKenzie sits down with Jennifer Mushtaler, Republican candidate for Texas House District 47. Dr. Mushtaler shares her journey from engineering to medicine to public service—and why Texas needs more real-world expertise in the Legislature. As an OB-GYN, small business owner, and former Austin Planning Commission member, she brings a systems-based approach to the state’s biggest challenges. The conversation dives into: • Rising property taxes and insurance costs • Public education funding across seven school districts • Healthcare affordability and access in urban and rural Texas • Infrastructure, transportation, and rapid population growth • What a Texas House Representative can—and can’t—do With no primary challenger, this race heads straight to the general election, making this a critical conversation for voters in Central Texas. 📍 House District 47 | Austin • Bee Cave • Lakeway 🗳️ Texas State Legislature | Healthcare • Education • Infrastructure ⏱️ Smart Chapters / Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to Vote Like A Texan 01:15 – Why Dr. Jennifer Mushtaler decided to run for Texas House 03:20 – Why expertise matters in the Texas Legislature 04:45 – Engineering, medicine, and systems thinking in public policy 05:15 – What voters in House District 47 care about most 06:50 – Why healthcare consumes 40% of the Texas budget 08:15 – Healthcare access, affordability, and rural Texas challenges 09:40 – Small business ownership and understanding real tax pressure 10:45 – What Texas can control in healthcare policy at the state level 12:25 – Infrastructure, transportation, and growth in HD 47 14:55 – Advocacy: the real role of a Texas House Representative 16:20 – Why local elections shape state and national outcomes 17:55 – Where voters can learn more and get involved