This map shows Washington’s ten congressional district.
President Donald J. Trump endorsed Washington State Senate Minority Leader John Braun (R) to defeat two-term incumbent Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) for Washington’s Third Congressional District in April. In September, he also endorsed one-term incumbent Michael Baumgartner (R) against challenger Carmela Conroy (D) to keep his seat in Washington’s Fifth Congressional District.
JOHN BRAUN: CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 3
“It is my Great Honor to endorse Highly Respected State Senator, and brave U.S. Navy Veteran, John Braun, who is running to represent the amazing people of Washington’s 3rd Congressional District,” President Trump said on Truth Social. He continued:
“John is running against Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a true Radical Left Extremist with a Track Record that REEKS, and who does not represent the Values of Southwestern Washington. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez wants Open Borders, Men playing in Women’s Sports, Transgender for Everyone, Defund the Police, and wants to take away your Second Amendment, meaning, your guns. Sadly, she voted against the Biggest Tax Cut in History, and fought ferociously to knock out Rural Healthcare, a big factor in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District.
In contrast, John Braun fights tirelessly to Advance Pro Growth Policies, Champion American Energy DOMINANCE, and Prioritize CLEAN AIR, CLEAN WATER, AND CLEAN SOIL FOR ALL WASHINGTONIANS. In Congress, John will work hard to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Great Military/Veterans, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.
John Braun has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Representative from Washington’s 3rd Congressional District — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
JOHN BRAUN, IN HIS OWN WORDS
As a candidate, Braun has focused more on “pocketbook issues like tax cuts and affordability than on ‘culture war’ topics,” Oregon Public Broadcasting reported in July. He said, his two biggest priorities would be to keep the federal income tax rate low and promote energy production to keep prices down. “Don’t just talk about small businesses,” he said, per OPB. “How do you actually make it better for them? You make it by helping keep their costs low.”
Braun told the outlet that he agrees with Trump’s policies, including preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon. He parts ways with the president when it comes to tariffs, as tariffs on aluminum caused prices to go up with Braun’s business.^ “While I wholeheartedly support the desire to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., I don’t think it’s as simple as changing the tariff in some cases,” Braun told OPB.
Braun earned a Naval ROTC scholarship to the University of Washington, graduating in 1989 with a degree in electrical engineering. He was commissioned as a Navy officer and entered the submarine force, beginning a 31-year military career that would span seven years of active duty and more than two decades in the Navy Reserve.
Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez’s seat is considered one of the best pickup chances for the GOP this fall.
MICHAEL BAUMGARTNER: CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 5
President Donald J. Trump reiterated his “complete and total endorsement” for Congressman Michael Baumgartner in a video posted to the president’s social media site, Truth Social. In the video recorded from the Oval Office, Trump called Baumgartner a “tremendous guy,” a “spectacular person” and said the congressman was a pivotal vote for the 2025 tax cuts and spending package, the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
“Really, he did a record job and everybody’s talking about him, he’s respected down there,” the president said. “And one of the things he fought the hardest for is U.S. border security, where we have the strongest border that we’ve ever had. And he was a strong supporter for no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on social security for our great seniors. He is a winner.”
The endorsement is not new. Trump took to social media to praise Baumgartner in November and again just before the August primary, saying at the time that the congressman had his “Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election.” Trump continued:
“Carmela Conroy is a far-left Democrat who is on the same side as the left-wing lunatics in Olympia who created brand new state income taxes all over the place,” Trump said. “Carmela would give you the largest tax hike in history, and she’s very proud about it – I don’t get it, but she’s very proud.”
Within hours of when the video was published, Conroy seized the opportunity to ask supporters to donate to her campaign. “Trump knows this seat is in play,” the Conroy campaign underscored in a fundraising email. “He never gets involved in races until the GOP is in real trouble – and that’s why he’s paying attention to Eastern Washington today.”
As he headed to a debate in Walla Walla, Baumgartner wrote in a text that he appreciated the president’s support and was proud of the work highlighted in the endorsement video.
“President Trump is correct that an income tax would be terrible for the state of Washington and that Carmela Conroy is wrong to support the state income tax and other tax increases,” Baumgartner wrote, referring to his opponent’s support for the state’s first ever tax on income.
In her role as chair of the Spokane County chapter of the Democratic Party, Conroy supported the first ever state income tax bill which passed earlier this year. She ran for Washington’s 5th congressional district against Republican Michael Baumgartner in 2024 after Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) declined to run for re-election, losing in a landslide 60.6%–39.3%.
Check me out on X @dianelgruber.
Greedy Democrats Want Biggest Tax Increase In History So Economy Will Tank
Trump 45’s Tax Cuts & Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) is designed to expire at the end of this year. If Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is not passed, in one form or another, Americans will experience the biggest tax increase in history. Moreover, if these huge tax cuts are not made permanent, the economy will tank, which is what Democrats want.
^In 1986, Jack and Linda Braun, along with sons Jim and John, founded Braun Northwest in Chehalis Washington, which John now owns and operates.
The author, Diane L. Gruber, is a First Amendment advocate who writes for Substack. She calls her Substack newsletter America First Re-Ignited. Follow me on X @DianeLGruber.
If you enjoyed this article, then please REPOST or SHARE with others; encourage them to follow AFNN. If you’d like to become a citizen contributor for AFNN, contact us at managingeditor@afnn.us Help keep us ad-free by donating here.
Substack: American Free News Network Substack
Truth Social: @AFNN_USA
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/afnnusa
Telegram: https://t.me/joinchat/2_-GAzcXmIRjODNh
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfnnUsa
GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/AFNN_USA
CloutHub: @AFNN_USA