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John Phillips (Florida)
From Ballotpedia
John Phillips (Republican Party) (also known as Captain) is running for election to the Florida House of Representatives to represent District 72. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.[source]
Phillips completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2026
See also: Florida House of Representatives elections, 2026
Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Florida House of Representatives District 72
Incumbent Bill Conerly and John Phillips are running in the general election for Florida House of Representatives District 72 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Bill Conerly (R) | |
 | John Phillips (R)  | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
John Phillips completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Phillips' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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John “Captain” Phillips is a 31-year veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and candidate for Florida House District 72. A lifelong Floridian, he has lived in Florida for over 30 years and in Bradenton for 13. He spent his career serving and protecting our coasts, most recently as a Chief Warrant Officer 4. His Coast Guard service included multiple command tours, humanitarian missions, and leadership roles ensuring navigation safety, disaster response, and preservation of life and property.
Phillips is not a career politician and is not backed by special interests or big developers. His “special interests” are his family and Florida’s future. He believes words like “family first” and “servant leadership” must mean more than campaign slogans.
Public service runs in his family: with a wife who is a public school administrator, two daughters serving in the military, a stepson who is a Manatee County firefighter, a son-in-law who is a sheriff’s detective, and a daughter who is an elementary teacher turned full-time mom. He epitomizes being a true public servant. These ties to veterans, first responders, teachers, and working families give him a unique perspective on the issues that matter most.
Phillips is running to stand up for families, support veterans and first responders, ensure responsible growth, and fight wasteful spending and special-interest influence. His proven record of leadership and integrity reflects his lifelong commitment to serving the people of Florida.- Florida’s growth must be responsible, not reckless. John “Captain” Phillips has lived in Florida for over 30 years and seen firsthand how rapid, unchecked development strains our roads, schools, and natural resources. He believes families, not big developers or special interests, should guide the future of our communities. As your State Representative, he will fight for smart growth, protect our environment, and ensure infrastructure and services keep pace so Manatee County remains a place where families can thrive.
- Johnny Phillips is not a big-money candidate and will never answer to special interests or out-of-town developers. His “special interests” are his family, neighbors, and the future of Florida. Too often, decisions about our communities are made in Tallahassee by those influenced by lobbyists and big donors. Johnny believes control should stay local, with families and communities shaping growth, schools, and services. In Tallahassee, he will fight to protect local voices and ensure government works for the people — not the powerful.
- Johnny Phillips believes taxpayers deserve better than wasteful spending and bloated government. As a Coast Guard officer, he managed people, resources, and missions with accountability and efficiency — skills he’ll bring to Tallahassee. Johnny will fight to ensure your tax dollars are used wisely, prioritize essential services like public safety and education, and oppose reckless spending driven by special interests. He knows every dollar matters to Florida families, and he’ll work to protect their hard-earned money.
Johnny Phillips is committed to responsible growth, ensuring development is sustainable, safe, and protective of critical spaces like our wetlands. He will stand with veterans, first responders, law enforcement, and educators, ensuring they have the resources and respect they deserve. He believes in fiscal responsibility, making sure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely on essential services. His priorities are clear: protect families, strengthen communities, and put people before politics.
The Florida House of Representatives is unique because it is the people’s voice closest to the community. Members of this office shape state laws, approve budgets, and make critical decisions that directly affect everyday life — from education and infrastructure to public safety and local growth. Its importance lies in being both a lawmaking body and a steward of taxpayer dollars. What makes it powerful is also what makes it a responsibility: every vote should reflect the will of the people in the district, not special interests in Tallahassee.
For 31 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, I lived by the core values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty. Those principles guided every decision I made in service to our nation, and they remain just as important now as I seek to serve the people of District 72. An elected official must be honest, transparent, and accountable to the people they represent. They must listen more than they speak, stand firm against special interests, and put families and communities first. To me, public office is not about politics — it’s about service, integrity, and keeping faith with those you are entrusted to lead.
The core responsibility of anyone elected to the Florida House is to serve the people, not special interests. That means listening to constituents, protecting their values, and ensuring laws and budgets reflect the needs of families, not lobbyists. For me, that includes keeping growth responsible and sustainable, protecting vital spaces like wetlands, supporting veterans, first responders, and educators, and ensuring tax dollars are spent wisely. At its heart, the job is about stewardship — safeguarding our communities today while preparing Florida for the generations to come.
The legacy I want to leave for my grandchildren is a community where they can grow up safe, proud, and hopeful about their future. I want them to inherit a Florida that protects its natural beauty, values strong schools, and honors those who serve. More than anything, I want them to remember their grandfather as someone who stood for honor, respect, and devotion to duty — not just in the Coast Guard, but in the way he worked to make life better for families. My greatest hope is that when they raise their own children here, they’ll know their future was made brighter because we chose to put people before politics.
My very first job was at Albertson’s, where I worked for about three and a half years. Let’s just say I learned pretty quickly that stocking shelves and bagging groceries weren’t my lifelong calling. What it did teach me, though, was the value of hard work — and that the Coast Guard was probably going to be a much better fit for me than chasing runaway shopping carts in the parking lot.
The most important responsibility of this office is to listen to the people of District 72 and represent their interests with honesty and integrity.
The most helpful skills for this office are leadership, accountability, and the ability to listen and solve problems. An effective representative must understand how to manage resources responsibly, build consensus, and make decisions that put people first. Integrity, transparency, and standing firm against special interests are also essential. My 31 years in the Coast Guard gave me experience in leadership, crisis management, and stewardship — skills I will now use to serve District 72 with honor, respect, and devotion to duty.
I support maintaining a robust ballot-initiative process as a valuable check in our representative system—giving citizens a means to act where the Legislature may be unwilling or too slow. But I also believe it’s reasonable to adopt modest safeguards to protect the integrity of the process—so long as those safeguards don’t become barriers that shut out ordinary citizens or give advantage to large, well-funded interests.
Of all my accomplishments, the one I am most proud of is the family I’ve raised. My children have each chosen paths of service — in the military, in education, in public safety, and in law enforcement. Their commitment to protecting, teaching, and supporting others is the greatest reflection of what matters most to me. Medals and promotions in the Coast Guard meant a lot, but nothing compares to seeing your own children carry forward the values of honor, respect, and service to others. That is the legacy I am proudest of.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate Florida House of Representatives District 72 |
Personal |
Footnotes
Current members of the Florida House of Representatives
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Daniel Perez
Majority Leader:Tyler Sirois
Minority Leader:Fentrice Driskell
Representatives
District 1
Michelle Salzman (R)
District 2
Alex Andrade (R)
District 3
Nathan Boyles (R)
District 4
District 5
Shane Abbott (R)
District 6
Philip Griffitts (R)
District 7
Jason Shoaf (R)
District 8
Gallop Franklin (D)
District 9
Allison Tant (D)
District 10
Chuck Brannan (R)
District 11
Sam Garrison (R)
District 12
Wyman Duggan (R)
District 13
Angela Nixon (D)
District 14
Kimberly Daniels (D)
District 15
Dean Black (R)
District 16
Kiyan Michael (R)
District 17
Jessica Baker (R)
District 18
Kim Kendall (R)
District 19
Sam Greco (R)
District 20
Judson Sapp (R)
District 21
Yvonne Hinson (D)
District 22
Chad Johnson (R)
District 23
J.J. Grow (R)
District 24
Ryan Chamberlin (R)
District 25
Taylor Yarkosky (R)
District 26
Nan Cobb (R)
District 27
Richard Gentry (R)
District 28
Bill Partington (R)
District 29
Webster Barnaby (R)
District 30
Chase Tramont (R)
District 31
Tyler Sirois (R)
District 32
Brian Hodgers (R)
District 33
Monique Miller (R)
District 34
Robert Brackett (R)
District 35
Erika Booth (R)
District 36
Rachel Plakon (R)
District 37
Susan Plasencia (R)
District 38
David Smith (R)
District 39
Doug Bankson (R)
District 40
RaShon Young (D)
District 41
Bruce Antone (D)
District 42
Anna Eskamani (D)
District 43
Johanna López (D)
District 44
Jennifer Harris (D)
District 45
Leonard Spencer (D)
District 46
Jose Alvarez (D)
District 47
Paula Stark (R)
District 48
Jon Albert (R)
District 49
District 50
Jennifer Canady (R)
District 51
Josie Tomkow (R)
District 52
John Temple (R)
District 53
Jeff Holcomb (R)
District 54
Randy Maggard (R)
District 55
Kevin Steele (R)
District 56
Brad Yeager (R)
District 57
Adam Anderson (R)
District 58
District 59
Berny Jacques (R)
District 60
Lindsay Cross (D)
District 61
Linda Chaney (R)
District 62
Michele Rayner (D)
District 63
Dianne Hart (D)
District 64
Susan Valdes (R)
District 65
District 66
Traci Koster (R)
District 67
District 68
Lawrence McClure (R)
District 69
Danny Alvarez (R)
District 70
Michael Owen (R)
District 71
Will Robinson (R)
District 72
Bill Conerly (R)
District 73
Fiona McFarland (R)
District 74
James Buchanan (R)
District 75
Danny Nix (R)
District 76
Vanessa Oliver (R)
District 77
Tiffany Esposito (R)
District 78
District 79
District 80
Adam Botana (R)
District 81
Yvette Benarroch (R)
District 82
Lauren Melo (R)
District 83
Kaylee Tuck (R)
District 84
Dana Trabulsy (R)
District 85
Toby Overdorf (R)
District 86
John Snyder (R)
District 87
Vacant
District 88
Jervonte Edmonds (D)
District 89
Debra Tendrich (D)
District 90
Vacant
District 91
District 92
Kelly Skidmore (D)
District 93
Anne Gerwig (R)
District 94
Meg Weinberger (R)
District 95
District 96
Dan Daley (D)
District 97
Lisa Dunkley (D)
District 98
Mitch Rosenwald (D)
District 99
Daryl Campbell (D)
District 100
Chip LaMarca (R)
District 101
Hillary Cassel (R)
District 102
Michael Gottlieb (D)
District 103
Robin Bartleman (D)
District 104
District 105
Marie Woodson (D)
District 106
Fabián Basabe (R)
District 107
Wallace Aristide (D)
District 108
Dotie Joseph (D)
District 109
Ashley Gantt (D)
District 110
Tom Fabricio (R)
District 111
David Borrero (R)
District 112
Alex Rizo (R)
District 113
Vicki Lopez (R)
District 114
District 115
Omar Blanco (R)
District 116
Daniel Perez (R)
District 117
Kevin Chambliss (D)
District 118
Mike Redondo (R)
District 119
District 120
Jim Mooney (R)
Republican Party (86)
Democratic Party (32)
Vacancies (2)
