Elected 2026

Chris McPhillips is a retired United States Marine Corps Major General who dedicated 35 years of service leading Marines in peacetime and combat. He began his career in 1990 after graduating from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics. Subsequently, he earned his Naval Aviator wings and qualified to fly the AV-8B Harrier, F-5N, and F-35B aircraft. Committed to continuous professional development, he later earned a master’s degree from the Air Force’s Air University and Staff college (2004), a Master’s in National Security from the Naval War College (2009) and served as a Resident Military Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City (2015).

Throughout his distinguished operational career, he consistently led high-impact initiatives and major commands. As an elite aviation weapons and tactics instructor in 2000, he pioneered video downlink technology used during the Iraq War, which is now considered the standard. He went on to command the famous “Black Sheep Squadron” (VMA-214) and later led the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s first national cyber-warfare planning team at the Pentagon. His senior leadership roles included commanding Marine Aircraft Group 13, serving as Deputy Commander for Marine forces in the Indo-Pacific, Commanding General 3^rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Commanding General of 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Japan.

In his final years of service, McPhillips shaped critical defense frameworks and war plans at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, before commanding all U.S. Marine forces in the Middle East during a period of intense regional conflict. Decorated with the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Legion of Merit, among others, he officially retired from active duty on August 23, 2025.