Washington state Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, kicked off fundraising efforts for his congressional campaign Thursday evening with his first fundraising event as seeks to unseat Democratic incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania.
The event was hosted at Jester’s Auto Museum and Events Center in Chehalis.
Republicans from across Southwest Washington gathered at the event in hopes of setting the tone for just over a year of campaigning and fundraising for Braun.
The event was emceed by state Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, and also featured appearances from state Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, and former chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton and active Lewis County resident J. Vander Stoep.
Washington Congressman Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, who represents Washington’s Fifth Congressional District, also made an appearance via a pre-recorded video straight from Washington, D.C.
Now that Braun’s campaign has officially begun, the congressional hopeful will look to out-raise his opponent, Gluesenkamp Perez.
The race is likely to be one of the most closely watched in the country as Republicans will look to protect a thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Republicans currently control 219 seats while Democrats control 213. There are three vacancies.
It will also likely be one of the most expensive races in the country in 2026.
“This (competition) is going to cost $20 million,” Vander Stoep said later in the night. “That much money will be spent on both sides of this election, and George Soros is going to spend more than $14,000 to keep this seat in the D column.”
Despite a scheduled start time of 5 p.m., the event got started a bit late as many members of the community moved to check in and catch up with others in the room. After Abbarno managed to coax the crowd into their seats, he introduced Frank Corbin, who called for a moment of silence in honor of the recently assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk before leading the room in prayer.
Miss Lewis County 2024 Katelynn Guenther sang the national anthem.
After the opening ceremonies, Abbarno introduced a video from Baumgartner. In the video, he spoke about his time in the Washington state Senate working with Braun and referred to Braun as “one of the most intelligent men I’ve ever met and a great legislator.”
“He’s going to do well in Congress,” Baumgartner said.
Wilson spoke next with the task of introducing Braun himself. Wilson shared his experiences with Braun, painting him as a friend and a capable and tested leader who got things done in a state Legislature where he was constantly outnumbered.
As Braun took the stage, he thanked Wilson for the introduction and got straight down to business. During his speech, the state senator took a hopeful approach, promising to cut through the noise of American politics in D.C. and represent American values. He also drove home the perceived shortcomings of Gluesenkamp Perez, his most significant political opponent.
“Our incumbent gets an A on publicity, but gets an F on achievement," Braun said. “I believe in parental rights so you and not some bureaucrat decides what's best for your children. I believe in secure borders with legal, not illegal, immigration, because a strong nation knows who’s coming in and why. I believe in law enforcement, not defunding it … Most of all, I believe in you. I believe in the power of small towns, small businesses and families.”
Despite the competitive nature of the speech, Braun also spoke of political unity in the U.S. During his speech, he recited his official statement following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, condemning not only Kirk's killing but all political violence on all sides.
He added that the statement was important because Gluesenkamp Perez is his opponent, but not his enemy.
“I will fight this campaign with a force much more powerful than bullets. I will fight with ideas,” Braun said. “That the people are to rule the government, not the other way around.”
To finish off the event, Vander Stoep took on the role of pitch man as he urged the crowd to donate all they can to Braun’s campaign.
“The most a couple can give in an entire federal election for Congress is $14,000,” Vander Stoep said. “Compared to what he's going to be doing for us, all we have to do is write a check. I think we are the winners in that transaction. It’s worth more to our futures than $14,000 to have him in Congress.”
Going into the congressional campaign, Braun brings with him 13 years of state government experience as well as experience running a family business and serving on many at-will advisory boards in the Centralia and Chehalis area.
Braun is president of his family-owned business Braun Northwest, which was founded in 1986. The business is known for building emergency vehicles. Before going into the family business, Braun served active duty in the U.S. Navy and continued to serve in the U.S. Navy Reserves until officially retiring from more than 30 years of service in 2021.
Braun holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington as well as master’s degrees in business administration and manufacturing engineering from the University of Michigan.
