Latest news with #JohnBraun
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Senate Minority Leader John Braun announces bid for Congress
Aug. 12—The top Republican in the Washington state Senate has announced a bid to represent southwest Washington in the U.S. House of Representatives. State Sen. John Braun will challenge Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, of Skamania, to represent Washington's 3rd Congressional District. Braun enters the race with the backing of Republican Rep. Michael Baumgartner, Braun's former colleague in the state Legislature. Braun, who has served in Olympia since 2013, was selected as Senate minority leader in 2020. Braun is a U.S. Navy veteran and president of Braun Northwest, a family-owned manufacturer of emergency vehicles based in Lewis County. "Whether in the Navy, running a small business, or serving in the state legislature, I've always focused on solving tough problems, clearing roadblocks, and helping others succeed," Braun said in a statement Tuesday. "In Congress, I'll bring that same approach — working to lower costs for families, support American manufacturing, and expand opportunities for family-wage jobs here at home." In his announcement, Braun cited his 31 years of service in the U.S. Navy, which included serving as the director of the U.S. Navy Submarine Force Reserve Component. "Members of Congress take an oath to defend our country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I take that oath seriously. I'll work to secure our borders and maintain a strong national defense — because peace is best preserved through strength," Braun said in a statement. Braun represents the 20th Legislative District, which includes Lewis County and parts of Thurston, Cowlitz and Clark counties. Braun's announcement Tuesday gives Republicans a high-profile candidate in a district that is one of their top targets in the 2026 midterms. Gluesenkamp Perez was a political newcomer when she won the seat in 2022 by 2,629 votes over Republican nominee Joe Kent, and subsequently defeated Kent again in her 2024 re-election bid. Kent has since been confirmed as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center in the Trump administration. While in Congress, Gluesenkamp Perez has repeatedly earned national headlines for her success in a red-leaning district, particularly with Republicans finding success on the top of the ticket. Despite Gluesenkamp Perez's re-election, the district has continued to lean Republican, with voters supporting Donald Trump in each of his three presidential campaigns. Following the announcement, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Lindsay Reilly said that Braun "has proven time and again that he's out for himself and his donor friends. "Voters know Braun is nothing more than a suit in Olympia who works for special interests like Big Pharma, not for working people," Reilly said. "He's a swamp creature who will be more of the same in D.C., championing the status quo that's left too many Southwest Washington families behind." Before Gluesenkamp Perez, the district was represented for 12 years by Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler. The Cook Political Report rates the district as one of 18 "toss-up districts" in the country, which they classify as those where "either party has a good chance of winning."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP Washington state Sen. John Braun is running for Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez's seat
CHEHALIS, Wash. (AP) — Washington state Sen. John Braun announced Tuesday that he will run next year for the Republican nomination for the U.S. House seat held by Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Braun, the Republican minority leader of the Democratic-controlled state Senate, will be vying for a competitive, conservative-leaning district in southwestern Washington that was carried by President Donald Trump last year. Braun said in a statement issued by his campaign that he would work to secure borders and maintain national defense. The statement said Braun is the president of a family-owned manufacturer of emergency vehicles who served in the Navy for 31 years. 'I know how to fight bad policy — and how to craft good policy that makes a difference for people here in Southwest Washington. I look forward to working with President Trump on a positive agenda that gets America back on the right track," he said. Gluesenkamp Perez, an auto repair shop owner, flipped Washington's largely rural 3rd Congressional District in 2022. The six-term Republican who previously held the seat, Jaime Herrera Beutler, did not make it out of the primary that year. Right-wing constituents angry about her vote to impeach Trump instead cast their lot with Joe Kent, a former Army special operations soldier who promoted Trump's lie that the 2020 election was stolen and touted conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol. Gluesenkamp Perez beat Kent by less than a percentage point in 2022. Heading into a rematch with Kent last fall, she was considered one of the most vulnerable members of Congress but won reelection by nearly 4 points. Gluesenkamp Perez has described political polarization as destructive to democracy and used a nuts-and-bolts approach to governing. Some progressives in her district have said she has not pushed back hard enough against Trump's second presidency. But some consultants say her approach could help boost her support among independents and moderate Republicans. Federal elections filings show that Democrat Brent Hennrich, a former movie theater operations manager who has dismissed Gluesenkamp Perez's moderation as the wrong approach, and Republican businessman Antony Barran are also running for the seat.
Toronto Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
GOP Washington state Sen. John Braun is running for Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez's seat
CHEHALIS, Wash. (AP) — Washington state Sen. John Braun announced Tuesday that he will run next year for the Republican nomination for the U.S. House seat held by Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
GOP Washington state Sen. John Braun is running for Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez's seat
CHEHALIS, Wash. (AP) — Washington state Sen. John Braun announced Tuesday that he will run next year for the Republican nomination for the U.S. House seat held by Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Braun, the Republican minority leader of the Democratic-controlled state Senate, will be vying for a competitive, conservative-leaning district in southwestern Washington that was carried by President Donald Trump last year. Braun said in a statement issued by his campaign that he would work to secure borders and maintain national defense. The statement said Braun is the president of a family-owned manufacturer of emergency vehicles who served in the Navy for 31 years. 'I know how to fight bad policy — and how to craft good policy that makes a difference for people here in Southwest Washington. I look forward to working with President Trump on a positive agenda that gets America back on the right track,' he said. Gluesenkamp Perez, an auto repair shop owner, flipped Washington's largely rural 3rd Congressional District in 2022. The six-term Republican who previously held the seat, Jaime Herrera Beutler, did not make it out of the primary that year. Right-wing constituents angry about her vote to impeach Trump instead cast their lot with Joe Kent, a former Army special operations soldier who promoted Trump's lie that the 2020 election was stolen and touted conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol. Gluesenkamp Perez beat Kent by less than a percentage point in 2022. Heading into a rematch with Kent last fall, she was considered one of the most vulnerable members of Congress but won reelection by nearly 4 points. Gluesenkamp Perez has described political polarization as destructive to democracy and used a nuts-and-bolts approach to governing. Some progressives in her district have said she has not pushed back hard enough against Trump's second presidency. But some consultants say her approach could help boost her support among independents and moderate Republicans. Federal elections filings show that Democrat Brent Hennrich, a former movie theater operations manager who has dismissed Gluesenkamp Perez's moderation as the wrong approach, and Republican businessman Antony Barran are also running for the seat.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
GOP Washington state Sen. John Braun is running for Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez's seat
CHEHALIS, Wash. — Washington state Sen. John Braun announced Tuesday that he will run next year for the Republican nomination for the U.S. House seat held by Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Braun, the Republican minority leader of the Democratic-controlled state Senate, will be vying for a competitive, conservative-leaning district in southwestern Washington that was carried by President Donald Trump last year.
