 He worked as a commercial and corporate banker for more than ten years before joining his family's general contracting company Lorentz Bruun as vice president and chief financial officer.In April 1996, Bruun sought the Republican nomination for a special election to complete the term for the United States House of Representatives seat in Oregon's 3rd congressional district, vacated when Ron Wyden won election to the United States Senate.Bruun lost the Republican primary to Mark Brunelle, who then lost the special election to Earl Blumenauer.