Brendan McPhillips joined Hilltop as Partner in 2022 and helps lead the firm’s Pennsylvania practice.

As a campaign manager, McPhillips has a record of winning critical races on the national stage that have shaped the way campaigns are run. Most recently, McPhillips was the campaign manager for John Fetterman’s groundbreaking victory for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, winning a seat that had not been held by a Democrat since 1969 and helping to secure a Democratic Senate majority. The Fetterman campaign was praised for charting a course for how Democrats can run competitively in other swing states, particularly its strategy to campaign in every county which resulted in Fetterman improving on President Biden’s performance in 64 of 67 counties.

In 2020, McPhillips led President Biden’s successful Pennsylvania campaign as State Director where his team had to rewrite the playbook for successful organizing to adapt to campaigning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also in the 2020 cycle, McPhillips served as Iowa State Director for Pete Buttigieg, winning the Iowa Caucuses with an historic victory for the first openly LGBTQ candidate to ever earn delegates in a presidential primary. McPhillips also managed Andrew Gillum’s come from behind victory in the 2018 Democratic primary for governor of Florida.  He has held senior positions on a number of Pennsylvania campaigns, including campaign manager for Philadelphia Councilmember Helen Gym (2015),  senior advisor for Councilmember Gym (2019), campaign manager for  John Fetterman’s first bid for Senate (2016) and both the Obama and Clinton presidential campaigns.

McPhillips completed his general studies at Mt. San Jacinto College in Southern California prior to transferring to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Peace Studies and Political Science from the University of Notre Dame.

Prior to beginning his career in politics, Brendan was also a proud union member for over seven years with the United Food & Commercial Workers.