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Mike Johnson rallies in Chehalis as Washington's 3rd Congressional District race heats up
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson stopped by Chehalis on Wednesday to rally support for Republican John Braun amid a tightly contested race for Washington's 3rd Congressional District seat.
CHEHALIS, Wash. - With 13 days to go until the election, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson stopped in southwest Washington to campaign for Republican John Braun Wednesday in Chehalis.
"We are flying all around the country, the speaker’s job is kind of crazy, we are traveling everywhere, we are campaigning nonstop," said U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, (R) Louisiana.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson rallies in Chehalis in support of John Braun, a candidate for Washington's 3rd Congressional District. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Braun and his opponent, incumbent Democrat U.S. Representative Marie Glusenkamp Perez have been working hard to get out the vote.
Because the race will determine control of Congress, it's attracted national attention.
What they're saying:
"It’s going to be a very close election, everybody knows it," said U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to the crowd. "You know how important this seat is."
"We’ve been working hard for 14 months, and it all builds up to this. This is the part that really matters people have to turn out to vote," said John Braun, President of Braun Northwest and State Senator for the 20th Legislative District. "I feel really good about it and I think the speaker feels good about it. But, we are going to have to run right through the tape. I think we will be successful, but we are not going to stop until we get there."
In response to comments his opponent, Glusenkamp Perez made
"She just throws something, she lobs something out," Braun said in response to Glusenkamp Perez statement about health care cuts. "I’ve been very instrumental in funding and providing healthcare in Washington State."
Braun is pictured below at Wednesday's rally.
Representative Marie Glusenkamp Perez, for her part, was also meeting with voters Tuesday night.
The other side:
Glusenkamp Perez's campaign manager, Tim Gowen, sent the following statement to FOX 13 in a request for comment:
"Speaker Johnson is back in Southwest Washington for the third time this campaign, and we all know why. Super PACs and party committees aligned with Speaker Johnson and President Trump have spent more than $10 million in this race to place Senator Braun in Congress. When D.C. party bosses are paying for your campaign, everyone knows who you’ll answer to.
"This is why Senator Braun supports Trump’s healthcare cuts that will cost more than 25,000 people in Southwest Washington their health coverage. And with families paying more at the pump, he still won’t say whether he would vote to end the war in Iran.
"Southwest Washington needs a representative who answers to the people here. Marie has stood up to her own party when it was wrong for this district, and she has voted against this war six times. Senator Braun has already shown he’ll do what he’s told."
"We are historically a pretty independent people in SW Washington, we are far away from the centers of power and we like it that way. We value our independence here," said Glusenkamp Perez during a recent interview.
"She just throws something. She lobs something out," Braun said in response to Glusenkamp Perez's statement about health care cuts. "I’ve been very instrumental in funding and providing healthcare in Washington state."
What's next:
While both Braun and Glusenkamp Perez are doing their best to campaign up until Nov. 3, in the end it will be the voters who decide, with many saying they will cast their ballots soon.
"We’ll do our best," said Jim Lester, a District 3 voter.
"I think a lot of people here already have," said Jackie Lester, another District 3 voter.
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Gluesenkamp Perez, Braun fight for WA Congressional District 3 seat
National political attention is turning to southwest Washington, where Democrats are fighting to hold a congressional seat that Republicans want back. Candidates Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and John Braun sat down with FOX 13 as they battle for a district that prides itself on independence.
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The Source: Information in this story came from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.