Rio Phillips

Rio Phillips is a community organizer, entrepreneur, and independent (no party affiliation) candidate for U.S. Senate from Charleston, West Virginia. Born in Waynesboro, Virginia, he has roughly 25 years of grassroots activism, becoming politically active under George W. Bush and the Iraq War. His professional background includes owning a media and marketing business, working as a Medicare insurance agent, and working in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence optimization. He ran in the May 12, 2026 Democratic primary (earning more than 10,000 votes statewide), then left the Democratic Party and launched a write-in general election campaign. His platform includes Medicare for All, clean water for every West Virginian, and legalizing cannabis and expanding industrial hemp.