Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez survives Washington’s crowded primary
The Guardian · L · trust 65/100
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez speaks during a town hall at Centralia College on 22 April 2025, in Centralia, Washington. Photograph: Lindsey Wasson/AP View image in fullscreen Marie Gluesenkamp Perez speaks during a town hall at Centralia College on 22 April 2025, in Centralia, Washington. Photograph: Lindsey Wasson/AP US midterm elections 2026 Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez survives Washington’s crowded primary Two-term Democrat faced attacks from the left and right while defending a House seat in a territory Trump won
Prefer the Guardian on Google The Democratic representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez secured one of two spots in the state of Washington’s crowded, all-party primary, overcoming criticism from both the left and the right to advance in one of November’s most closely watched US congressional races.
The two-term Democrat – known for bucking her party on key issues – heads into the general election as she seeks to defend a district carried by Donald Trump in 2024 and a district that remains central to the battle for control of the House of Representatives. She will face the Republican state senator John Braun in November.
Gluesenkamp Perez faced competing ideological pressures in a sprawling field that included Braun, a navy veteran backed by Trump, , and progressive Democrat Brent Hennrich, who mounted a challenge from the left, arguing the US congresswoman had drifted too far from the Democratic party. Six other candidates also appeared on the primary ballot.
Under Washington’s primary system, the top two finishers advance regardless of party.
“Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is an authentic, independent leader who is fiercely loyal to south-west Washington,” Washington Representative Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement. “Marie is focused on the issues that matter most to her community, like lowering costs for families, revitalizing Washington’s timber economy, and investing in rural schools and infrastructure.”
Gluesenkamp Perez, who has carved out a distinctive political profile, is viewed as one of the most vulnerable House Democrats . Since flipping the Republican-held seat in 2022, she has built support among moderates, independents and some Republican voters, often emphasizing her background as the co-owner of an auto repair shop and breaking with her party on high-profile issues such as immigration, transgender rights and Trump’s elections overhaul bill, known as the Save Act.
That approach, however, increasingly alienated parts of her own party. Progressive critics argued she has too often sided with the president and Republicans, while supporters countered that her willingness to stake out opposing views reflected the realities of a district that has consistently backed Trump for president, most recently by about three points . They argue that ideological purity is less important than maintaining a foothold in Trump territory – and a seat that could ultimately help deliver Democrats the House majority in November.
In 2024, Gluesenkamp Perez ran roughly seven points ahead of Kamala Harris, her party’s presidential nominee.
Democrats hope Trump’s poor approval ratings, and frustration with the economy and the US-Israel war on Iran , will help propel them to power in Congress by winning control of the House and possibly even the Senate.
But Republicans see the seat as one of their top pick-up opportunities.
“John Braun is a navy veteran and job creator, and in November south-west Washington will send Perez’s sputtering political career straight to the scrapyard,” Christian Martinez, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement.
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