Phil Hernandez was born in Hampton Roads, Virginia, and lives in Ocean View. He earned a B.A. in government from the College of William & Mary in 2010 and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2016. His career experience includes working as the senior vice president for policy & advocacy for a nonprofit organization. Previously, Hernandez was a senior policy analyst for President Barack Obama's (D) White House Domestic Policy Council. Hernandez has also worked as an attorney.