John Braun
American politician from Washington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Eric Braun[1] (born January 16, 1967) is an American politician from Washington. A Republican, Braun is in the Washington State Senate, representing the 20th legislative district.[2][3]
John Braun | |
|---|---|
Braun in 2020 | |
| Minority Leader of the Washington State Senate | |
| Assumed office November 30, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Schoesler |
| Member of the Washington Senate from the 20th district | |
| Assumed office July 23, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Marlo Braun |
| In office January 14, 2013 – July 18, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Dan Swecker |
| Succeeded by | Marlo Braun |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Eric Braun January 16, 1967 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Marlo Braun |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | University of Washington (BS) University of Michigan (MS, MBA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Official website |
Early life, education, and military service
John Braun was born on January 16, 1967, in Columbus, Ohio.[4] He grew up in Ohio and attended the University of Washington on a U.S. Naval ROTC scholarship. He graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He then served seven years on active duty with the United States Navy. (He would ultimately retire as a Captain after 31 years of combined active and Navy Reserve service.)
Following active service with the Navy, Braun earned his Master of Business Administration degree and Master of Science in engineering management from the University of Michigan in 1999.
Business career
Braun serves as president of Braun Northwest, a family-owned emergency vehicle manufacturer founded in 1986. The company has 350 employees and serves fire, EMS, and law enforcement agencies across the western United States.[5]
Political
In 2012, Braun ran in a three-way all-Republican primary versus the incumbent state senator Dan Swecker and employment specialist and former substitute teacher Rae Lowery.[6] Braun had a strong showing in the primary with 40.33 percent of the vote compared to Swecker's 46.97 percent.[7] In the general election, Braun greatly improved on his primary showing; defeating Swecker with 55.43 percent of the vote.[8]
He held his first floor speech February 15, 2013, and sponsored more than 70 bills as a freshman legislator.[9]
Legislative leadership and committees
Braun chaired the Senate Ways & Means Committee in 2017, spearheading a landmark 2017-19 state operating budget that included historic education funding and property tax reforms that reduced taxes for 73% of Washingtonians.[10]
In November 2020, Braun was elected Washington Senate Minority Leader by members of the Republican caucus.[11] Braun has served as the minority leader since the start of the 2021–2022 legislative session.[12]
2026 U.S. House campaign
In August 2025, Braun announced that he would be running for U.S. House in Washington's 3rd congressional district in 2026.[13]