Washington Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez will face Republican state Sen. John Braun in the November general election. The unofficial primary election results were called by The Associated Press shortly after 8 p.m. on Tuesday night.

Early returns showed Gluesenkamp Perez and Braun neck and neck as voters’ top choices for a key seat that could tip the balance of power in Congress — one that Democrats want to win in November in order to gain control of at least one chamber of Congress, in what is expected to be a strong year for their party. The toss-up district could also be crucial for Republican efforts to hold onto a razor-thin House majority.

The Democrat from Washougal and Republican from Centralia were heavily favored to win out of a pool of nine hopeful candidates because of their large institutional support and significant fundraising reserves. Braun was endorsed by President Donald Trump in April. Incumbent Gluesenkamp Perez is seeking a third term representing Washington state’s 3^rd Congressional District. She was first elected in 2022.

Tuesday’s primary election included a crowded field of candidates from across the political spectrum. According to Washington state’s top two primary system, the two candidates who receive the most votes move onto the November general election, regardless of their party.

Early returns showed Braun, a moderate Republican, with 38.5% of the vote and Gluesenkamp Perez with 39.1%.

Progressive Democrat Brent Hennrich was holding 15.5%, according to initial results. During his campaign, Hennrich said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez failed to listen to her liberal constituents and sided too often with Republicans on key issues like protecting voting rights, support for Israel and support for the National Defense Authorization Act.

The 3^rd District is expected to be one of the most consequential races in the entire 435-member House of Representatives. The Cook Political Report ranks it one of just 18 toss-up races in the U.S. House.

“If Democrats lose this seat, that would be a huge blow for their ability to retake the House,” said Ben Gaskins, a Lewis and Clark College political science professor in a June interview about the race.

Tuesday’s primary election results could offer clues about how much support Gluesenkamp Perez has lost from progressive voters over the past two years, he said.

“That could raise some alarms for the general election if those voters then don’t turn out and vote for her,” he said.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/08/04/republican-braun-democrat-gluesenkamp-perez-advance-to-wa-3-general-election/