John "Captain" Phillips
Republican | Florida
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
EDUCATION
Columbia College of Missouri, Assoc. Arts
WORK & MILITARY
U.S. Coast Guard, Chief Warrant Officer 4/Commanding Officer, 1994-2025
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
n/a
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Florida House District 72
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
The Bradenton Times
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Matthew Edward Taylor (2025)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
Candidate forum. Hosted by League of Women Voters Manatee County. Manatee Educational Television METV YouTube. 3 Jul 2026. 56 min.
Candidate interview. The Bradenton Times Podcast. 25 Mar 2026. 1 hr 2:04 min.
Candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
When the life of the mother is threatened.
Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
Agree
The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.
Choose not to answer
The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.
Agree
ECONOMY
What is your position on the minimum wage?
The current minimum wage is sufficient. Minimum wage jobs are not intended to sustain a living wage. We need to focus on vocational and technical skill training opportunities that pay a living wage for people entering the workforce.
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.
Required sourcing protocols for government agencies, similar to DOD/DHS Regular audits to identify fraud and abuse (which will deter it) Stricter campaign finance laws - especially IRT PAC's and PC's.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
In simple terms, the state should not interfere or prohibit your ability to practice a legitimate religion. One that is not associated with terrorist organizations and was not founded simply to avoid paying taxes.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options.
The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.
Choose not to answer
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
The United States' relationships with all other countries are important, but no other country is more important than the citizens of the United States first and foremost. I am now, always have been, and always will be "AMERICA FIRST."
IMMIGRATION
I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.
Strongly Disagree
The founding fathers would be rolling over in their graves that this is even a legitimate question, and it is testimony of how far we have fallen.
EDUCATION
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Strongly Agree
The DOE is top heavy with bloated salary bureaucrats that have no interest in seeing our students succeed. They are there to enrich themselves at any cost. We absolutely need to abolish the DOE and give control back to the states with some federal guidance that will prevent our schools from being infiltrated by communism, socialism, and the woke agenda.
Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.
Strongly Agree
100% agree. AMERICA FIRST principles and proud American history.
VALUES
Government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being.
Strongly Agree
Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.
Strongly Agree
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Strongly Agree
I support the expansion of gambling in my state.
Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I went to a Baptist Church as a child and learned about Christianity there and through my upbringing. I've also taken required classes on religion and have had many a religious discussion and conversations about peoples' beliefs. From this, I've formulated my personal belief that Jesus Christ, the son of God, is my lord and savior, he died for our sins. I believe that the church is a great place for people to gather in the Lord's name, but I also believe that every individual who was created in God's image has a spirit within them and can communicate and maintain a personal relationship with their creator that is undeniable and unassailable.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Anyone that believes this but submits to a passport or driver's license is admitting that they support fraudulent elections.
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.
Strongly Agree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Man-made climate change is a global threat and requires urgent political action.
Neutral
How much money did Al Gore make from pushing climate change? Don't get me wrong, I am very concerned about the effects that man has on the environment, but we need to have a clear distinction between protecting the environment and profiting from laws, regulations and questionable ventures like wind and solar farms that often do more harm than good. We also need to pay close attention to the harm that companies are doing to the environment in the name of "national security."
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Nuclear energy is probably the most efficient, but we are finding new ways and innovative ways to produce energy and should continue on the path for safe and clean energy. I am against solar farms, but I support homeowners who opt for solar energy.
ABOUT YOU
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
Never.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
No.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
What should be the goal of the criminal justice system?
Accountability first and foremost. Rehabilitation and reform when possible. Equal justice for all.
Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.
Strongly Agree
I support the death penalty for child sexual predators, and I think child exploitation should hold harsh and severe penalties, especially for repeat offenders.
Sharia law should not be accepted or incorporated in any form within the legal framework of the United States.
Strongly Agree
I support religious freedom, but Sharia Law is not a religion, it's an ideology and has no place in the United States or Western Culture.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
I strongly support the second amendment and believe the only infringements that should be enforceable by the government should be in cases where a person is not mentally fit to own a gun - or has committed a violent felony.
