Sen. John Braun’s wife, Marlo Braun, a registered nurse at Providence Hospital in Centralia, was sworn in by Lewis County District Court Judge Wade Samuelson on the state Senate floor.
OLYMPIA — The wife of a state senator has been sworn in as a temporary senator to fill in for the Centralia Republican while he’s participating in required military training with the U.S. Navy Reserve.
Sen. John Braun’s wife, Marlo Braun, a registered nurse at Providence Hospital in Centralia, was sworn in by Lewis County District Court Judge Wade Samuelson on the Senate floor. The move comes after a majority of county officials in District 20 approved her husband’s request to invoke a little-used provision for a fill-in so his district wouldn’t go unrepresented during the final days of the third special session that ends Thursday. Lawmakers are still working to try and reach a deal on both a two-year capital budget and a water-rights bill before they adjourn.
Marlo Braun, 50, said that while serving in the Senate was never in her game plan, she’s “happy to fill in for him while he’s serving our country.”
Sen. John Braun is serving as commanding officer of a U.S. Navy Reserve detachment supporting U.S. Pacific Command at Camp Smith, Hawaii.
Most Read Local Stories
The last time a temporary senator was sworn in under the provision was in 2005, when Spokane Republican John Wyss served three days for then-Sen. Brad Benson, a major in the Air National Guard. Before that, then-Sen. Mike Kreidler, now the state insurance commissioner, stepped aside for part of a year in 1991, when he was called up to reserve duty during Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf 1990 and 1991. He was replaced by his wife, Lela.
The state statute allows for elected officials to be temporarily replaced if they are called up to active service or training. Under the language of the resolution adopted by the counties, Marlo Braun was retroactively appointed to the Senate as of the time her husband’s duty started, on July 15. Her appointment runs until “approximately Sunday.”
Lewis and Thurston counties voted in favor of the appointment on Monday, and Clark County voted Tuesday. However, a mix-up in Cowlitz County on Tuesday is leading to a revote Wednesday, after commissioners mistakenly voted for Chehalis attorney and former lawmaker J. Vander Stoep. Braun had originally selected him as his replacement, but Vander Stoep was not available, thus leading to the request for Marlo Braun to step in.
Cowlitz officials said they did not see the follow-up request for the change. However, because the required majority was already met, Marlo Braun could still be sworn in before Cowlitz’s revote.