Mark Bircher

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]

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

^ ^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.