legislator spotlight Representative Will Metcalf is a mem-
ber of the Texas House of Representatives for District 16. As a businessman himself he has been a reliable advocate for small businesses, fighting to stop over-regulation and voting to eliminate unneeded bureaucratic obstacles for those trying to grow a business. He is a sixth generation resident of Montgomery County and an accomplished business leader. His experience in the financial sector gives him the skills to be a knowledgeable and a conservative voice on behalf of the people of Montgomery County. Representative Metcalf was raised in Conroe and is a graduate of Conroe ISD and Sam Houston State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Rep. Metcalf and his wife Megan have been married for 14 years and are the proud parents of beautiful nine-year old twin daughters, Amelia and Elizabeth. Texas Dealer recently had an opportunity to visit with the Representative from the fast-growing area just north of Houston.
Texas Dealer: What inspired you to run for public office? Rep. Metcalf: In 2013 after the previous member chose
not to seek re-election, my wife and I began to receive many calls from people all over our community asking that I consider running for state representative. At the time, our twin daughters were still toddlers and I had no intention of leaving them to run for office. However, the calls kept coming and my wife and I found ourselves seriously contemplating running to serve our neighbors at the state level. My family has very deep roots in Montgomery County, and I was raised with the belief that we must give back to our community and be active and engaged in our local governments and civic organizations. It became clear that this was the capacity we were 16
being called to serve in, and I was second to last to join the race in a primary of six people. Fast forward to the spring of 2014 — we won the primary and moved on to the general election that fall where I faced a Democrat and Libertarian opponent. We defeated them and I was sworn in for my first session in January 2015 for the 84th Legislature. I continue to serve House District 16 because my community has called on me to represent our values in the Texas Legislature, and I want to leave our district and our state better than I found it for my daughters’ generation. It is a great honor to serve my community at our State Capitol.
Texas Dealer: What skill(s) do you utilize most frequently on Capitol Hill?
Rep. Metcalf: The skill I have found to be most
useful at the Texas Capitol is relationship building. I would say the biggest difference between Washington, D.C. and the Texas Legislature is the fact that Texas has a long history of productive bipartisanship. If you look at the desks in the House Chamber, they’re not separated by Republican vs. Democrat. We all sit together, our offices are together, and that’s the Texas model for how we get things done in the legislature. In fact, the vast majority of debate in the Texas legislature is not “Republican vs. Democrat,” but instead urban vs. rural in many cases. You need votes to pass a bill, so it’s important to foster working relationships with colleagues on both sides of the aisle if we’re going to get things done in Texas. I may not share the same political ideology with my colleagues across the aisle, but at the end of the day, we can converse about our families, our hobbies, and being proud Texans.
Texas Dealer: What is your favorite aspect of the Texas House District 16?
T e x a s
D e a l e r
February 2021
