John Eric Braun (born January 16, 1967) is an American politician from

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. A Republican, Braun serves in the

Washington State Senate The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 members, each representing a district with a population of nearly 160,000. The State Senate meets at the Washington State Capitol, Legis ...

, representing the 20th district. Braun serves as the President of Braun Northwest and as an officer in the US Navy Reserve.

Early life and education

Braun was born on January 16, 1967, in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

. He grew up in

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

and attended the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

on a U.S. Naval ROTC scholarship. He graduated in 1989 with a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

. He then spent seven years on active duty with the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

, and he continues to serve as a Captain in the Navy Reserve. Braun received his

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular ...

degree and

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

in engineering management from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

in 1999.

Career

Braun ran in a three-way all-Republican primary in 2012 versus the incumbent state senator

Dan Swecker Daniel Peter Swecker (February 28, 1947 – September 1, 2021) was an American farmer, military officer, and politician. Biography He served in the Washington State Senate The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington St ...

and employment specialist and former substitute teacher Rae Lowery. Braun had a strong showing in the primary with 40.33 percent of the vote compared to Swecker's 46.97 percent. In the General Election, Braun greatly improved on his primary showing; defeating Swecker with 55.43 percent of the vote. In the Senate, Braun serves as Chair of the Ways and Means Committees. He held his first floor speech February 15, 2013, and sponsored more than 70 bills as a freshman legislator. In November 2020, Braun was elected Washington Senate Minority Leader by members of the Republican caucus. Braun has served as the minority leader since the start of the 2021–2022 legislative session.

Awards

* 2014 Guardians of Small Business award. Presented by NFIB.

Personal life

, he lives in Centralia with his wife and four children, while managing the family business.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Braun, John E. 1967 births Living people American chief operating officers People from Centralia, Washington Politicians from Columbus, Ohio University of Washington alumni Ross School of Business alumni Republican Party Washington (state) state senators 21st-century members of the Washington State Legislature