Braun cites $2.5 million tariff cost in tight Washington House race

John Braun estimates his business will pay $2.5 million in extra costs this year due to federal tariffs on materials like aluminum. The state senator and Republican challenger in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District owns Braun Northwest. The company builds custom emergency vehicles and employs about 335 people.

Braun says he has disagreed with the Trump administration on this point. He argues that tariffs are the wrong answer to bringing manufacturing back to the country. The extra costs get passed to customers, who are mostly small cities and fire departments in the American West.

His opponent, incumbent Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, shares that view. The Democrat has made the right to repair a central legislative priority since entering Congress four years ago. She and her husband own an auto repair and machine shop. Gluesenkamp Perez says planned obsolescence forces the middle class to buy new items instead of fixing old ones.

“Having things that are worth fixing, that are repairable themselves, like, saves thousands of dollars for a normal household,” Gluesenkamp Perez said. She frames the issue as a matter of personal property rights and antitrust. She wants to keep skilled trades alive for people trying to maintain older vehicles.

The two candidates also disagree on the main driver of rising costs. Gluesenkamp Perez blames the war in Iran for spiking fuel prices. She voted against the conflict six times. Braun cites domestic tax policies and energy production. He supports the administration’s fossil fuel strategy to lower prices over the long term.

Both candidates agree on several other issues. They support more logging on federal lands to reduce wildfire risks and help local timber mills. Both say Congress needs to reclaim its constitutional powers over spending and war from the executive branch. Braun wants to lift the Clinton-era roadless rule to allow more sustainable harvests. Gluesenkamp Perez is still reviewing the specific changes but wants local input.

The race has attracted more than $20 million in campaign spending. The district includes Vancouver and several rural counties. It voted for Donald Trump in 2020 and 2024. Polls show the race is statistically tied. More than half of the money spent comes from outside groups as Democrats fight to keep control of the House.