Former Capitol Police Office Harry Dunn—who fought off violent riots in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021—announced his bid for Congress just one day shy of the third anniversary of the attack.
Harry Dunn faces a crowded Democratic field to replace retiring Maryland Rep. John Sarbanes.
Harry Dunn, a 15-year veteran of the Capitol Police force, filed paperwork to run in Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District just south of Baltimore where he faces a packed Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. John Sarbanes (D).
Dunn told CNN his candidacy is a way for him to “fight back” against former President Donald Trump, who he blames for the insurrection, and give himself “a seat at the table” to hold Trump accountable.
Dunn retired from the Capitol Police force in December.
“I do believe that we’re literally one election cycle away from the extinction of our democracy,” Dunn said in a phone interview to NBC News.
Dunn has repeatedly spoken about responding to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the capitol. He has described the physical and emotional effects of surviving that attack in some detail, including that rioters shouted racial slurs at him while he tried to protect the Capitol. Dunn appeared before the House Jan. 6 committee during its inaugural hearing. Dunn has also testified in cases against some of the Jan. 6 defendants. In the fall, he published a book about his experience entitled “Standing My Ground: A Capitol Police Officer's Fight for Accountability and Good Trouble After January 6th.”