WASHINGTON, D.C. — Southwest Washington's undecided voters have days to cast a consequential vote to reelect U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez or send state Sen. John Braun to the Capitol.
Beyond a Democrat and a Republican, voters face two markedly different styles of lawmakers.
Both have sought to straddle the interests of a swing district on the campaign trail, attempting to distance themselves from political party fealty to appeal to moderates and independents. Both have also spent at least half of their legislative careers in the minority, making relationships across the aisle essential to getting things done.
Each has built a reputation for working beyond party lines, but they wield influence differently. Gluesenkamp Perez has carved out a national profile by spotlighting niche problems and pressing for narrowly tailored solutions. Braun, a longtime state lawmaker, has focused on building consensus within his caucus and quietly negotiating deals. Their approaches partly reflect the gap in seniority between their roles: Braun has been a state senator for 13 years; Gluesenkamp Perez has served two terms, still early in a congressional career. But they also reflect different ideas about representing a politically divided constituency and getting results in a polarized political environment.
Gluesenkamp Perez has forged an unorthodox image and prioritizes nuts-and-bolts issues, like headlight brightness, that she argues Congress too often overlooks. She maintains a casual, off-the-cuff demeanor in interviews and online, sometimes swearing, too. During her second term, she has used her committee assignment as her primary legislative vehicle, advancing policy through amendments and delivering remarks that sometimes go viral.
Braun offers the more traditional, buttoned-up approach of a veteran lawmaker. As Senate minority leader, he guided his Republican caucus toward shared goals, privately untangling disagreements and working the Senate floor to gauge support and navigate the majority. Reserved and methodical, he is unlikely to become a household name, but his colleagues describe him as a skilled behind-the-scenes negotiator.
Recent polling continues to show the Democratic incumbent and Republican state senator virtually tied in the race to represent Washington's 3rd Congressional District, which borders the Pacific Ocean and Oregon and stretches into the Cascade Mountains. The contest has drawn millions in campaign spending. According to federal filings, Gluesenkamp Perez has raised roughly $9.5 million and Braun has raised about $3.3 million, while outside groups, including a political action committee backed by President Donald Trump, have poured millions more into the district to sway voters.
Ballots are due Nov. 3, and voters' decisions in the 3rd District could help determine the balance of power in Washington, D.C.
Solving problems, making deals
This summer, Gluesenkamp Perez told the House Appropriations Committee about the excruciating pain she experienced during a miscarriage. She pushed for language in a House bill directing the study of pain management strategies for miscarriage; the amendment passed unanimously. It was one of many amendments she has championed in the committee's broader policy packages throughout her second term. Her social media feeds frequently feature soundbites from her often impassioned — and frank — committee remarks.
“Marie has a very matter-of-fact way of identifying problems that a lot of members of Congress don't even see or know exist, and I think she's unique in coming up with solutions to them as well," Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, told The Seattle Times in an interview earlier this year.
Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez have frequently diverged from fellow Democrats and have sought to revive the Blue Dog Coalition, which describes itself as pragmatic, "fiscally-responsible" group of Democrats.
"She increasingly has a rapport with other members. She has a reservoir of goodwill across the aisle that I have watched her tap into on the Appropriations Committee to get amendments passed, and increasingly, I think that is just going to pay greater and greater dividends," Golden added.
Last year, Gluesenkamp Perez also secured an amendment in an appropriations bill directing the study of headlight brightness. Her legislative pursuits are often narrow and hyper-specific.
Many D.C. lawmakers prioritize broad policy agendas, said Phil Gardner, who was Gluesenkamp Perez's campaign manager in 2022, later served as her senior policy adviser and now advises Blue Dog PAC, the coalition's campaign arm.
"But her approach is, I think, looking and listening in her community about sort of the day-to-day things in people's lives that are holding them back. ... She likes to solve practical problems."
Braun's approach centers less on spotlighting individual problems than on building the coalitions and negotiating the compromises needed to address them. His years in the Washington Senate put those skills to the test, including during one of the state's most consequential education funding battles.
The Washington state Supreme Court ruled in its 2012 McCleary decision that the state was failing to meet its constitutional obligation to fully fund K-12 education. The court held the Legislature in contempt in 2014. As negotiations stalled, Braun helped develop an education funding plan that Republicans could support, working to overcome skepticism within his own caucus and bring GOP lawmakers to the bargaining table. In 2017, he was among eight lawmakers who negotiated the final bipartisan deal.
Braun has served as Senate minority leader for about six years. His colleagues recall him with a notebook at all times in Olympia, filled with detailed checklists.
"John is one of the most meticulous, organized people I've ever known," said J.T. Wilcox, the former state House Republican leader. "He approaches legislating in that way."
"You have to have kind of this menu of things that you hope to accomplish during the session, and you look for opportunities to accomplish parts of it when the opportunity arises," Wilcox said. "John was really good at keeping his top five agenda items in mind, and finding the moments when he could advance those, whether it was making a deal, or finding people on the other side that had similar goals."
Much of Braun's policy work grew out of constant negotiations on the Senate floor and behind closed doors, colleagues said.
"He is constantly out talking to people, talking to leadership on the other side, talking to caucus members, talking to stakeholders," state Sen. Chris Gildon said. "He is always moving."
State Sen. Keith Wagoner called Braun a "a master at behind the scenes negotiation."
Building coalitions, crossing party lines
Wagoner, the minority whip, recalled a time Braun confronted him after Wagoner cut off debate by a member of his own caucus.
"There was debate going on and I wanted to put an end to it because it was getting tedious," Wagoner said.
Braun approached him moments later, off the Senate floor.
"John let me know that's not how our caucus operates," Wagoner said. "It was justified."
Braun's colleagues credit him as a collaborative leader, describing him as a steady presence at the center of the Republican caucus.
"He knew what the pulse of the caucus was, what the feeling of the caucus was, and he would meet with individual members whenever needed, and especially the members who were ranking on committees, just to check to make sure that things were going okay," said state Sen. Judy Warnick.
Gluesenkamp Perez, by contrast, remains a rank-and-file Congress member as she vies for a third term. She has quickly distinguished herself, though, as a Democrat who often crosses party lines. That independence has yielded strong relationships with some Republicans, including Rep. Dan Newhouse, of Yakima, while sometimes angering members of her own party, including House Democratic leaders. She attends a Republican Bible study and works out in the congressional gym — spaces she utilizes to foster cross-party relationships, her supporters say. Meanwhile, the Blue Dogs provide her with a political home among Democrats on Capitol Hill, one that she angles to grow beyond its 10 members.
"There's like a couple of different ways you can go here in the House. You can only work with your own party, and therefore only be able to get things done when they are in full power, or you can be someone who tries to work with everyone and always be in a posture as best you can to deliver for your constituents," Golden said. "I think Marie is taking the long game approach to always try and position herself to get something done for the people that she represents back home."
In September, Gluesenkamp Perez and Golden broke with Democrats twice on key procedural votes that advanced Republican bills. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he sought action against the defectors and House Whip Katherine Clark indicated that she supported removing disloyal Democrats from their committees. Within days, the likelihood of punitive action receded.
"She talks it out. I know after those votes, she had conversations with Leader Jeffries," Gardner said. For Gluesenkamp Perez, he added, independence takes precedence over party loyalty. "She's not there to be a popular woman at the party."
Quiet operator, public voice
Braun may not be particularly charismatic, Wagoner said. Nor is he "a great interview," Wilcox said. "So he's not going to be a star on cable."
His work gets done quietly, Gildon said. "But the work will be done."
Gluesenkamp Perez, meanwhile, is willing to get personal — in committee hearings, interviews and on social media.
"She knows it gets things done and it gets attention," Gardner said. "In any aspect of American life these days, attention is important.
Their contrasting styles are visible on the campaign trail, too. Gluesenkamp Perez wears flannels and jeans; Braun favors tan slacks and a blue button up.
Neither are particularly fiery, their supporters said, and both are dogged in their work. As they compete to represent a district that rewards political independence, voters must decide which approach best reflects their hopes for a member of Congress.
© 2026 The Seattle Times. Visit www.seattletimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
