Mark W. Bircher (born June 25, 1953)[1] is a retired Marine Corps Reserve brigadier general, commercial pilot (Boeing 777), lawyer, scholar, and former Blue Angels pilot.[2] He was a Republican Party candidate in Florida's 13th congressional district special election, 2014.[2][3] He was the Republican candidate for the 2016 election in Florida's 13th congressional district.[4]
Mark Bircher | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait | |
| Born | June 25, 1953 Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
Branch | |
Service years | 1976–2009 |
Rank | Brigadier general |
| Commands | |
Conflicts | Iraq War |
| Awards | Bronze Star |
| Alma mater | United States Naval Academy |
Bircher is a graduate of the Naval Academy and the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN).[1] 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.[2]
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[2]
- Opposes the Affordable Care Act[2]
Endorsements
edit- Combat Veterans For Congress PAC[1]
- Former Congressman Allen West[7]
- Republican Liberty Caucus[8]
References
edit- 1 2 3 "BGen Mark Bircher". Combat Veterans For Congress. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Former Blue Angels pilot runs for Congress". WTSP 10 News. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.