Tex's Bio
Greg "Tex" Bukowski was born in 1978 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Denis and Brigitte Bukowski. His father, Denis, was from Pittsburgh and was the first person in the family to go to college. He became an engineer whose first job was at US Steel and later assisted on NASA's space program. His mother, Brigitte, an immigrant from Germany, was a homemaker and later an entrepreneur, selling antiques.
When he was 8 years old, the family moved to Southern California for his father's work. It was classic American suburbia and was a great place to grow up. His crew of friends all lived in the neighborhood, hung out, played sports, went surfing, and (mostly) stayed out of trouble. Tex went to a great public high school where he graduated in the top 10 of his class and got high SAT and ACT scores. He was also on his high school varsity tennis team.
Tex went to college at Northwestern University, a top 10, Ivy League-adjacent university near Chicago, Illinois. He graduated with high marks as a double-major, Economics and German, and was recruited by and interviewed with the CIA out of college.
But instead of working for the swamp, Tex followed his love of sports and became an intern for the Philadelphia Eagles under Head Coach Andy Reid (who would later go on to win 3 Super Bowls). Tex soon landed his first full-time job with the USC Trojans football team in Los Angeles. Tex worked in recruiting and football operations at USC under Head Coach Pete Carroll (who would later go on to win 1 Super Bowl), and was a part of back-to-back National Championship-winning teams. While working full-time, Tex got his MBA, with a concentration in Entrepreneurship, by going to school nights and weekends.
In 2006, Tex moved back to Chicago to become an entrepreneur and start a business. He would go on to found Moldman and the Water Boys, a mold and water damage restoration company, which would eventually become a franchise with 10+ locations (and growing!).
In 2015, Tex moved into his dream home in Austin, Texas, but, unfortunately, he went through a rough, unexpected divorce. Tex packed his bags and landed in Southwest Florida, where he rebuilt his life. He's been living there for 10+ years and has gotten involved as a small business owner (restaurant) and an elected official.
Tex is now remarried to his beautiful wife, Olga, a professional fashion model, and has two amazing daughters, Reagan and Mira.
Tex's Resume
EDUCATION
- Northwestern University, Class of 2000, Double Major in Economics & German
- University of Southern California, Class of 2005, MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship
WORK HISTORY
- Philadelphia Eagles, 2000, Player Personnel Intern
- USC Trojans, 2000-2006, Assistant Director of Football Operations & Recruiting, won 2 National Championships
- Moldman and the Water Boys, 2006-current, Founder & CEO, franchise with 10+ locations
POLITICS
- Elected Official, Charter Review Board, Sarasota County, 2025-2026
- 6-time Trump voter
PERSONAL
- Husband, Father, Immigrant's Son, Good Catholic.
- Tex enjoys tennis, golf, beach, hiking, watching college & pro football (Steelers!), rescuing turtles from the middle of the road
& raising his kids.
How'd He Get The Nickname Tex?
Ah, an interesting story...
Tex got the nickname "Tex" because...he moved to Florida FROM TEXAS! But there's more to the story...
Tex got his life upended by divorce. When he moved to Florida from Texas, he didn't know anyone and had no friends, so he got involved with the local tennis community. His tennis coach asked him "where did you move here from?" and Tex answered "Texas," so his coach nicknamed him "Tex" because he couldn't remember his name. Pretty soon, all the tennis guys started calling him "Tex" and the name just stuck.
Which is kind of ironic, because Tex went through hell in Texas, and really wanted to forget he'd ever lived there. But with everyone calling him Tex, he couldn't escape it. After going through 3-4 rough years of recovery, Tex eventually rebuilt his life and turned things around. The old adage, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" really held true in Tex's case.
Now, Tex wears his nickname proudly, like a battle scar. To Tex, his nickname is a personal reminder of getting through tough times and emerging on the other side as a stronger person.
Q&A with Tex
Q: Why are you running?
A: I'm running because America is in a bad situation and I know I can help. I have the smarts to recognize that President Trump is off track, and the courage to stand up and say so. America needs smart, bold leaders in Congress. Not more dummies who can't see the 2nd, 3rd and 4th-order consequences of their decisions and who are afraid to do anything but kiss the ring of Trump, even when he's in the wrong.
I'm also running to inspire my little girls. Their daddy is just a regular guy. A regular small businessman. If he can run for Congress, they can too. Anybody can. That's the beauty of America.
Q: Do you actually think you have a chance to win?
A: Absolutely! I wouldn't run if I didn't. I have a message, a plan, and I believe I have a shot. And that's all you can ask for.
Q: How are you funding your campaign?
A: I'm primarily self-funding. I'm running my campaign on a shoestring budget, and doing pretty much everything myself, including this website. I'm also getting support from friends, family, and small-dollar donors. Tex is a man of the people. Tex is beholden to no one. (NOTE FROM TEX: If you're reading this, please consider making a small-dollar donation. Every little bit helps, and I can sure use the help!)
Q: What do you know about politics?
A: A lot. I'm a political junkie. I've put in over 50,000 hours of intense study of American politics and I have a vast general knowledge of all of the issues. I'm also an elected official in SW Florida and have gained valuable experience from it. Put me in, coach. I'm ready to play!
Q: What are your big issues?
A: We have so many problems in this country...where do I start? Well, I guess my biggest issue is war. I am absolutely opposed to it. I think it is the dumbest thing that the human race does. This Iran War...let's face it - it was SO DUMB. We didn't need to do it. And even if Trump somehow gets out of it, we mistakenly bombed a school for girls and killed 150 little girls. (Read that again and let that sink in.) I voted for Trump to end wars, not start wars. Let me put it another way: If a policeman stops 8 bank robberies, but later robs a bank, is he a hero? No, he's not.
My other big issue is all things having to do with the economy: bringing jobs back, reducing inflation, lowering high prices, lowering high taxes, lowering high interest rates, ending insider trading, ending the fraud that has caused our giant debt, etc. I understand economics very well and I'm passionate about small business.
Q: Why would you want to subject yourself to this? After all, they call it "the swamp" for a reason!
A: Yeah, I know. And you know what? However bad you think it is - it's at least 10x worse. I've seen it with my own eyes. But that's one of the main reasons I feel called to do this. Things aren't as they should be in this country. Things aren't the way we were taught they are. We've been lied to in so many ways. And it really makes me angry. But I'm on a mission to help fix it. I can help - I feel it in my bones.
Q: What's something unique or strange about you that help us get to know you better?
A: Hmmm...OK here's one...I cut my own hair! I first tried it a few years ago after I heard that George Clooney did it. And I like it! I've gotten pretty good at it. It saves me a ton of time and money. I've calculated that I will save over $10,000 in my lifetime by cutting my own hair. It's frugality like that which is needed in Washington, DC! Ha ha.
