Harry Dunn is stepping into the political arena again and making it clear that he’s not just running against someone, but for something personal. The former U.S. Capitol Police officer, who was on the front lines during the January 6 insurrection, has announced his second campaign for Congress in Maryland’s 5th District, as the seat opens up following the retirement of longtime Rep. Steny Hoyer.
In a campaign video posted to X, Dunn declares:
“January 6 was the worst day of my life. But the threat of Donald Trump didn’t end when the mob left the Capitol. That’s why I’m running for Congress: to defend this country, with the full constitutional authority of Congress. I’m Harry Dunn. And I’m ready to finish the job.”
January 6 was the worst day of my life. But the threat of Donald Trump didn’t end when the mob left the Capitol.
— Harry Dunn (@libradunn) February 4, 2026
That’s why I’m running for Congress: to defend this country, with the full constitutional authority of Congress.
I’m Harry Dunn. And I’m ready to finish the job. pic.twitter.com/8JbQwjklFT
Dunn’s message comes from lived experience. On January 6, 2021, he was one of many officers who put their bodies on the line to protect the U.S. Capitol from rioters seeking to overturn the presidential election. His campaign video revisits that day and criticizes what he describes as unchecked force and institutional power without accountability, linking that to broader national concerns about truth, safety, and trust in public institutions.
“Lawlessness isn’t always a mob. Now it comes with a title… a podium… and lies from behind it,” Dunn says in the video, criticizing abuses of power that he argues are still playing out in American institutions today.
This congressional campaign is Dunn’s second. In 2024, he ran in a crowded Democratic primary for Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District, a seat opening with the retirement of Rep. John Sarbanes. He campaigned on issues ranging from abortion and healthcare to infrastructure and gun reform, and drew endorsements from national Democratic figures.
However, in the May 2024 primary, he finished second to state Sen. Sarah Elfreth and conceded the race on election night, subsequently endorsing her general‑election campaign.
Born on Andrews Air Force Base, Dunn was raised in Maryland’s 5th District, which includes Prince George’s County. He’s a proud graduate of Surrattsville High School and trained at the Cheltenham Youth Facility. “This community raised me,” he says. “I know the people here, and I know what working families are up against.”
In an interview with CBS News, Dunn emphasized that his campaign is about showing up for those who feel forgotten or afraid:
“We need people here in Congress who are prepared to stand up and fight. I’m hearing the fear of the people in the district… People are scared now.”
If elected, he would represent a community that shaped him, and continue the fight for democracy from a new seat of power.
“So tell Donald Trump, I’m coming back to the Capitol,” he says. “This time with a vote.”
