Marie Gluesenkamp Perez
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat who has represented Washington's 3rd congressional district since 2023 and co-chairs the Blue Dog Coalition, faces Republican John Braun, minority leader of the Washington Senate, in 2026.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
Live News
Recent media coverage for Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
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Beavers and Evergreens: Key Oregon and Washington Races
Gov. Tina Kotek speaks at a gathering of business leaders and public officials at the Moda Center, on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023.
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Barrett, Gluesenkamp Perez Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Elder Fraud
Address:1232 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
- Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez Introduces Legislation to Target Scammers who Prey on Older Americans
No story this week names this candidate.
- Born
- June 4, 1988
- Birthplace
- Harris County, Texas
- Education
- Warren Wilson College
Reed College (degree in economics, 2012)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez was born Kristina Marie Perez on June 4, 1988, in Harris County, Texas, the youngest of four children, and was raised in Houston.
Her father immigrated from Mexico and was a pastor at an evangelical church, while her mother, whose family has roots in Washington, home-schooled the children during their early years.
After high school she attended Warren Wilson College and then transferred to Reed College in Portland, Oregon, paying her tuition with work in a cafe and in production, and she graduated in 2012 with a degree in economics.
While managing the Reed Bike Co-op as a bicycle mechanic she met her future husband, Dean Gluesenkamp, and after college the couple opened an automobile repair shop and moved to rural Skamania County, Washington.
Career
Gluesenkamp Perez first sought office in 2016, losing a race for Skamania County commissioner with 46.3% of the vote in the general election, and she lost a 2018 bid for Skamania County Public Utility District commissioner.
She joined the Underwood Conservation District board in 2018 and served on the Washington State Democratic Party executive committee from 2020 to 2022.
In 2022 she won the 3rd district seat by defeating Republican Joe Kent, who conceded on December 21 following a recount, and she beat Kent again in 2024 with 51.7% of the vote.
In the House she has been described as one of the most centrist Democrats, and she has served on the Committee on Appropriations since 2025. She co-led the reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools program, which President Donald Trump signed into law on December 18, 2025, and has emphasized her work on federal right-to-repair legislation and on funding to replace the Interstate Bridge.
2026 race
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is seeking a third term in Washington's 3rd congressional district, which is based in Vancouver and encompasses Washington's portion of the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. In 2024 she was one of 13 Democrats to win a district also carried by Donald Trump.
Her votes for the SAVE Act, to censure Representative Al Green and, on January 22, 2026, to fund the Department of Homeland Security drew criticism from her left and from several Democrats in the state.
In the August 4 top-two primary she and Republican John Braun, minority leader of the Washington Senate, advanced from a nine-candidate field with about 39% of the vote each, while Democrat Brent Hennrich placed third with 16.7%. The general election is on November 3, 2026.