In 1975, Mystrom established Mystrom/Beck Advertising. In 1982, he received the Small Business Person of the Year Award from President
Ronald Reagan. In 1990, he sold his advertising business, which was later merged into the Nerland Agency. Mystrom was elected to the Anchorage Assembly in 1979, serving until 1985. During the 1980s, Mystrom led the
Anchorage Organizing Committee, which sought to bring the 1992 or 1994
Winter Olympic Games to the city. In 1994, he defeated Democrat
Mark Begich to succeed
Tom Fink as mayor of Anchorage. In 1997, he withstood a challenge from Fink, a fellow Republican. Mystrom was widely considered the more moderate of the two Republican candidates. In office, Mystrom emphasized crime reduction and championed the "City of Lights" beautification program, encouraging residents and employers to ornament their homes and businesses with decorative lights during Anchorage's dark winter. In the
2003 election, he challenged incumbent Republican mayor
George Wuerch in a three-way race. Begich, who had unsuccessfully faced Wuerch
in 2000, was elected. ==Personal life==