Mark Bircher (born 1952-1953 [1] ) 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]