John Eric Braun (born January 16, 1967) is an American politician from Washington. A Republican, Braun serves in the Washington State Senate, 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 state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

. He grew up in Ohio and attended the University of Washington on a

U.S. Naval The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

scholarship. He graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor's degree in

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which 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, and he continues to serve as a Captain in the Navy Reserve. Braun received his Master of Business Administration degree and Master of Engineering Management from the University of Michigan 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 from the 20th district from 1995 to 2013. He was a Republican. Swecker ...

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 21st-century American politicians American chief operating officers Ross School of Business alumni Republican Party Washington (state) state senators