John Braun
John Braun, a Republican who is minority leader of the Washington Senate and represents the 20th legislative district, faces Democratic incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp Perez for Washington's 3rd congressional district in 2026.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by John Braun.
Live News
Recent media coverage for John Braun.
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John Braun calls out Marie Gluesenkamp Perez over attack ad
John Braun (R-Centralia) clashed with Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Skamania) in a District 3 debate over her attack ad tying Braun to a deadly incident at his Braun Northwest plant.
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Washington congressional race blankets Oregon airwaves
John Braun is the Republican candidate in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District race against incumbent Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
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Gluesenkamp Pérez y Braun, en reñida contienda por distrito clave del suroeste de Washington, según encuesta de OPB
John Braun en WA-03 (Tercer Distrito de Washington): Las encuestas de DHM Research para OPB muestran una contienda extremadamente reñida entre Braun (republicano) y la actual congresista Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez…
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Gluesenkamp Perez, Braun split on initiative to ban trans athletes from girls sports
John Braun (WA-03) advocates banning transgender athletes from girls’ sports. In the campaign against incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Braun supports measures that would prohibit trans girls from competing in girls’…
No story this week names this candidate.
- Born
- January 16, 1967
- Birthplace
- Columbus, Ohio
- Education
- University of Washington (Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, 1989)
University of Michigan (Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in manufacturing engineering, 1999)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
John Braun was born on January 16, 1967, in Columbus, Ohio, and grew up in Ohio.
He attended the University of Washington on a U.S. Naval ROTC scholarship and graduated in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, then served seven years on active duty with the United States Navy; he is a former Navy captain.
After his active service he earned a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in manufacturing engineering from the University of Michigan in 1999. Braun lives on a small farm in rural Centralia with his wife and four children.
Career
Braun is president of Braun Northwest, a family-owned emergency vehicle manufacturer founded in 1986 that serves emergency response agencies across the western United States.
He entered politics in 2012 by challenging incumbent Republican state senator Dan Swecker in the 20th district; after trailing Swecker 40.33% to 46.97% in a three-way primary, he defeated him in the general election with 55.43% of the vote.
Braun served on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and is affiliated with the Mainstream Republicans of Washington. In 2014 he received the Guardians of Small Business award from the NFIB.
The Republican caucus elected Braun minority leader of the Washington State Senate in November 2020, and he has held the post since the start of the 2021 to 2022 legislative session.
His 2021 appointment of former state senator Joe Fain to the Washington State Redistricting Commission attracted controversy because of sexual assault allegations against Fain.
Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck credited Braun and Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig with helping to build a "culture of collaboration" between the parties in the chamber.
2026 race
John Braun announced in August 2025 that he would run for Washington's 3rd congressional district, which is based in Vancouver and encompasses Washington's portion of the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area.
The seat is held by Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who was re-elected with 51.7% of the vote in 2024, when she was one of 13 Democrats to win a district also carried by Donald Trump.
In Washington's top-two primary, Braun received 85,064 votes, or 39.7%, and advanced to the general election with Gluesenkamp Perez from a nine-candidate field that also included Republicans John P. Roco and Lawrence Kellogg. Braun and Gluesenkamp Perez meet on November 3, 2026.