Former Capitol Police officer who testified before Jan. 6 panel announces run for Congress

Former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who testified before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, announced Friday that he’s running for Congress. 

Dunn is running for Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District, which is being vacated by retiring Rep. John Sarbanes (D) — a move that comes several months after suggesting on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that he might run for the district. 

Dunn became a household name in 2021 when he testified before lawmakers about the Capitol riot, recounting how he had seen Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department officers being attacked that day and the racial slurs he and other Black police officers had received from people storming the Capitol.  

He said in an interview with The Hill ahead of his formal launch that “the thing that happened on Jan. 6, and everything that’s happened after, pushed me and launched me into this space now.” 

“One of the phrases that I live by is ‘until there’s nothing that can be done, there’s always something that can be done,’ and I believe that I’ve exhausted all of my — everything that I could do as a Capitol Police officer in that role to fight for accountability, fight for justice, fight to preserve our democracy. I’ve done everything I could do as a Capitol Police officer,” he told The Hill.  

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Though Dunn resides outside of the district — he resides in Montgomery County, according to CQ Roll Call — he said that if he were elected to Sarbanes’s district, he would move accordingly. 

“I’ve interacted with a lot of the citizens of that district — I spend a lot of my time in the district, I go grocery shopping, and I go to the gym there,” he said. 

Dunn said that he’s spoken with several members of the Maryland congressional delegation ahead of his launch. When asked about issues he found important, Dunn noted several issues centered around democracy. 

“One of the things that I’m really happy about that a lot Democrats, including the individuals in the field, are united on is the need to preserve a woman’s choice. The need to expand and protect voting rights, for common sense gun reform, to make health care more affordable for the people of the state of Maryland,” he said. “I think we’re all in agreement on that. And my thought, though, is that all of those things fall under the umbrella of democracy.” 

While discussing Maryland specifically, Dunn said he’d like to work on issues around infrastructure and mental health. 

Dunn joins a crowded Democratic primary for Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District, which leans heavily Democratic, meaning whoever wins the primary later this year is considered the heavy favorite to win in November.  

Other candidates include Dels. Mark Chang, Vanessa Atterbeary, Terri Hill and Mike Rogers and state Sens. Sarah Elfreth and Clarence Lam. 

Dunn described himself as a “career public servant” and said Congress did not need to be represented by “career politicians.” 

“I believe that my service and my willingness to stand up and fight back against the people that are in the institution now — that are trying to erode it — I think that is one of my strong points,” he said.