Mark Bircher is a retired Marine Corps Reserve brigadier general, commercial pilot (Boeing 777), lawyer, scholar, and former Blue Angels pilot.[1] He was a Republican Party candidate in Florida's 13th congressional district special election, 2014.[1][2] He was the Republican candidate for the 2016 election in Florida's 13th congressional district.[3]
![](http://178.128.105.246/cars-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/BGEN_BIRCHER_pic.jpg/220px-BGEN_BIRCHER_pic.jpg)
Bircher is a graduate of the Naval Academy and the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN).[4] He became a fighter pilot and flew the A-4 Skyhawk and F/A-18 Hornet. He was awarded the Bronze Star.[5] He flew with the Blue Angels for three years. In 2003 he deployed to Iraq. In 2009 he retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Brigadier General.[1]
Bircher ran as a conservative candidate in the Republican primary in the 2014 special election for Florida's 13th congressional district. Bircher finished third with 24% of the vote, behind State Representative Kathleen Peters (29%) and lobbyist David Jolly (45%) who went on to defeat Alex Sink in the March 11, 2014 special election.[6]
Political positions
edit- Supports a balanced budget[1]
- Opposes the Affordable Care Act[1]
Endorsements
edit- Combat Veterans For Congress PAC[4]
- Former Congressman Allen West[7]
- Republican Liberty Caucus[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Former Blue Angels pilot runs for Congress". WTSP 10 News. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
- ^ Pinellas congressional candidate Mark Bircher: Accomplished but unlikely by Adam C. Smith December 31, 2013 Tampa Bay Times
- ^ "Official Campaign Website 2016". Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
- ^ a b "BGen Mark Bircher". Combat Veterans For Congress. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
- ^ Mark William Bircher Military Times
- ^ "Special Primary Election January 14, 2014 Official Results". Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
- ^ "If you want to fight Obamacare, send in a Marine: BGen Mark Bircher". Allen B. West. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
- ^ "Republican Liberty Caucus Endorses Mark Bircher for Congress in Florida". Republican Liberty Caucus of Tampa Bay. Retrieved 1 December 2015.