Harry Dunn, a former U.S. Capitol Police officer who spoke to the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, announced on Friday that he is running for Congress.
Dunn is seeking a seat in Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District, currently held by the retiring Rep. John Sarbanes (D). This decision follows Dunn’s earlier indication on a X, that he was considering running for the district.
In 2021, Dunn gained widespread recognition when he testified about the Capitol riot, describing how he witnessed attacks on Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department officers and shared the racial slurs directed at him and other Black police officers by those who stormed the Capitol.
Prior to his official debut, he stated in an interview with The Hill 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.
Even though Dunn lives outside the district in Montgomery County, as reported by CQ Roll Call, he mentioned that if he wins in Sarbanes’s district, he would relocate.
“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 mentioned talking to some Maryland lawmakers before starting his campaign. When asked about important issues, he highlighted several related to 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.”
When talking about Maryland, Dunn expressed interest in addressing problems related to infrastructure and mental health.
He’s now part of a competitive Democratic race for Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District. This district usually supports Democrats, so whoever wins the primary has a good chance of winning in November.
Other candidates in the race are Delegates Mark Chang, Vanessa Atterbeary, Terri Hill, and Mike Rogers, as well as State Senators Sarah Elfreth and Clarence Lam.
Dunn sees himself as a dedicated public servant and believes Congress shouldn’t only be filled with 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.
