Cara knows that strong communities are built by people who care, work hard, and look out for one another. She grew up in a middle class family in Mandan, where she learned the values of responsibility, service, and treating people with respect.

Education has been the foundation of Cara’s career and her life’s work. She earned a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and spent 36 years teaching students at the middle school and high school levels, while also teaching college courses. Throughout her career, she worked with students and families from all walks of life, helping young people reach their potential and preparing them for the future. After more than three decades in the classroom, Cara recently retired from teaching, but her commitment to serving others has never been stronger.

Family has always been at the center of Cara’s life. She has been married for 25 years to her husband, John Braun, a retired welder. Together they have built a blended family with two daughters, three stepdaughters, and ten grandchildren, who remind her every day why investing in our communities and our future matters.

Cara is running because she believes public service should be rooted in listening, honesty, and a genuine commitment to the people she represents. She understands the challenges working families face because she has lived them. As an educator, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and a lifelong North Dakotan, Cara is ready to bring practical experience, compassion, and common sense leadership to public office.