Incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D) and John Braun (R) advanced from the top-two primary in Washington's 3rd Congressional District on August 4, 2026. Perez and Braun defeated seven other candidates. As of July 2026, Perez, Braun, and Brent Hennrich (D) led in fundraising and local media attention.
The Oregonian's Betsy Hammond said Perez "is one of the most centrist Democrats in Congress and has earned the ire of many progressives in her district." The Seattle Times' Danny Westneat said, "Gluesenkamp Perez has a traditional GOP opponent, state Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia. But she’s also facing a more-robust-than-expected fusillade from the left, in progressive challenger Brent Hennrich."
Perez was first elected in 2022. Perez's campaign website said she was "ranked as one of the most bipartisan lawmakers in the House and regularly works across the aisle to fix what's broken ... [she was] the kind of working-class Washingtonian left behind in this economy. The political establishment in DC ignored folks like her." The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) endorsed her.
