Former KU, NBA big man Greg Ostertag wins mayoral election in Texas town
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- Greg Ostertag won Mount Vernon mayoral race 245 votes to 210.
- He and his wife have invested more than $2 million in local restoration projects.
- He will take the oath on Monday, May 11, and serve a two-year term.
At 7-foot-2, former University of Kansas and Utah Jazz basketball center Greg Ostertag just might be the tallest elected official in U.S. history.
“That’s what my wife said. She says as soon as I get sworn in next week, she’s going to call Guinness (Book of World Records) and see,” Ostertag, winner of Saturday’s Mount Vernon, Texas, mayoral race against incumbent Brad Hyman told The Star on Monday night in a phone conversation.
After taking the oath of office on Monday, May 11, Ostertag, who defeated Hyman 245 votes to 210, will serve a two-year term representing the interests of a town he’s lived in with wife, Shannon, since 2015.
The duo several years ago helped rejuvenate Mount Vernon, a town located in northeast Texas which is about a 90-minute drive from Greg’s hometown of Duncanville.
They purchased a 110-year-old building in downtown Mount Vernon, converting it into a sports bar named “Tag’s Hometown Bar and Grill” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Michael-lore.com, The Ostertag Group was established in 2016 with the goal of “restoring and preserving small-town living for current and future generations to enjoy.”
Impressed with the Ostertags longtime commitment to the town, some of the restaurant patrons last winter suggested the 53-year-old farmer (he owns land a 10-minute drive from the heart of the city) give politics a chance.
“I don’t think that I saved the town. I think that my wife and I took part in kind of a team effort, a town effort,” said Ostertag.
According to published reports, he his wife have invested more than $2 million in local restoration projects designed to improve the life of residents and encourage tourism.
“When we came here, this town was falling apart. I say to people all the time, ‘You could park on this (downtown) square any time of the day, every day of the week.
“Now, because of us and a couple other townspeople … we decided to put a little bit of paint on the buildings and (now) it’s hard to find a parking space here on a Friday, Saturday night — sometimes Thursday. So it was just a little bit of effort by us and some others,” Ostertag said.
He said his goal in his term as Mount Vernon mayor is “taking a little bit of momentum and running with it, make it a destination town, get people back involved in believing in the town again. Building it up from where we are at now.”
Shannon Ostertag told Michael-lore.com: “A lot of times people think of building restoration as fixing doors and windows, but it’s about preserving history and what the place means to the town because if it isn’t preserved it’s going to be gone. This small town experience is really worth saving. It’s really why we do what we do.”
Greg Ostertag, who played at KU four seasons (1991-92 through 1994-95), then embarked on an 11-year NBA career, said it was the townspeople he’d visit with on a daily basis who inspired him to run for office.
“I stand out like a sore thumb here. People would see me and say, ‘Hey, run for mayor. We’d love to see you in there,’” Ostertag said.
He told kltv.com that several months before the election he and his wife purchased about 250 signs. They distributed about 50 of them.
“Everybody else came and got them and put them in their yards,” Ostertag told The Star. “People wanted us to run. They seemed excited and we got to where we thought we could get some excitement back in the town. We felt things had maybe stalled a little bit.”
Before the election, on social media, Ostertag made his pitch to the community for its vote.
“I believe Mount Vernon’s best days are still ahead. Some of my priorities include:
• Fixing roads, infrastructure, and utilities (water/sewer/trash)
• Transparent, common-sense leadership that puts our fellow residents first
• Improved communication with proactive, regular updates so that YOU stay informed
• Fostering strong relationships with the County, school board, and fire/police.”
He added in his message to voters: “This isn’t about politics for me. It’s about continuing the comeback that’s already been started and making decisions that truly benefit our fellow residents.”
Ostertag pointed out he likes to “give back through hands-on service … volunteering as a coach for kids’ sports, substitute teaching for Mount Vernon ISD and officiating high school basketball throughout East Texas. In 2002, I donated a kidney to my younger sister when she needed it most, and that experience reinforced how important it is to step up for family and community when it really counts.
“On our farm, I get to enjoy the simple things, including caring for our land and all kinds of animals. My big buddy ‘Norman the Camel’ (who you might’ve seen walking around the square!) follows me everywhere and shares my snacks. At 7-2 I’m a giant on the outside, but my heart has always been even bigger when it comes to serving others.”
His love of animals is evident on a daily basis on trips to his farm, where he spends a lot of time on his tractor.
“I have two camels, one zebra, chickens, turkeys, peacocks, emus, two dogs and 4 1/2 horses ‘cause I just had a baby — so it’s 4 1/2 horses,” Ostertag told The Star.
Of the camels Ostertag said: “I raised them since they were babies. They know who I am. They’re like big, giant puppy dogs. I hand feed them. I hug them. One will put his head on my shoulder. Then the zebra (is one) I got from the lady who I got my camels from. She was one of the vets here in the area, and she actually bred and sold the camels and zebras.
“And she passed away in January of 2025. We were real close. And when she did, the people who remained there asked me if I wanted her zebra, because me and her were really, really close. So yes, it was her personal zebra and she’s 20 years old.”
Ostertag, by the way, said he doesn’t plan on using his stint as small-town mayor as a springboard to, say, national office.
“I hate politicians,” he said Monday night with a laugh.
As such, he will put his own touch on his swearing in ceremony on Monday.
Asked if he’ll wear a suit and tie, he stated: “Heck no. You know me better than that. I might put on jeans and a collared shirt, but that’s it.”
