A Capitol Police officer who served during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot announced Friday that he is running for the Maryland General Assembly.
“On January 6th, as a Capitol Police officer, I defended our democracy from insurrectionists,” Dunn wrote on X Friday, the day before the three-year anniversary of the attack. “Then President Biden awarded me the Presidential Citizens Medal. Today, I'm running for Congress to stop President Trump's MAGA extremism and make sure it never happens again. ”
Dunn, 40, said he left his police job a few weeks ago to run for Congress after serving as a Capitol Police officer for 15 years.
He will take part in a crowded Democratic primary for Maryland's 3rd Congressional District, a heavily Democratic jurisdiction stretching between Baltimore and the nation's capital. Current Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) announced in October that he would not seek reelection.
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President Biden and Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn laugh before President Biden presents him with the Presidential Citizens Medal during a White House ceremony commemorating the second anniversary of the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
A campaign announcement video, also shared by X, shows Dunn speaking to the camera while wearing a button-down shirt and walking through what appears to be a Capitol hallway.
Actors posing as rioters cause destruction as the date “January 6th” flashes across the scene.
“On this day, my role was to be a Capitol Police officer. I'm Harry Dunn, and it's about who I am — a father, a Marylander, a Democrat. “Because I swore an oath to protect it.” “Our Constitution is meant to protect our democracy. We were able to protect some members of Congress who we knew were bigots who helped fan the flames.”
“I put my country before myself,” Dunn says.
“The problem is, many of them didn't,” he continued, watching a dramatic reenactment of rioters waving flags and destroying picture frames in the halls as Congressional workers fled. “Some of the same people who stood behind us when we protected them went back to the floor of Congress and stood behind Mr. Trump. They voted to acquit Mr. Trump. And worst of all, they denied the violence and trauma that led to Trump's death.'' Some of their fellow officers also denied the violence and trauma that led to Trump's death. He couldn't stand by. ”
The video cuts to actual footage of Dunn testifying before the committee on Jan. 6, speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill and appearing on network television shows such as “The View.”
U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn (right) and former Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Officer Michael Fanone (2 from right) during the House of Representatives Select Committee meeting on Monday, December 19, 2022 on January 6. person). (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“I had another role to play. I used my voice to speak out and get into trouble,” she said, showing footage of President Biden awarding Dunn the Presidential National Medal last year. He said this as footage of Dunn's testimony before the committee on January 6 was played. . The ad then returns to the Capitol riot reenactment, where the imaginary television screen is destroyed. “And a few weeks ago, I retired from the force after more than 15 years, and today I am happy to announce that I am running for Congress.”
A federal court also issued a negative ruling in January.Six protesters inside the Capitol could be sentenced
“We can't let something like this happen again. And you've heard it from Trump himself. He's desperate to finish what he started this day. I step into my new role today. But we can't do it alone.'' I believe each of us has a role to play in this fight. So we have a democracy to protect, so let's get involved.
Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., meets with Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Serves, who served nine terms, is one of about 20 Democrats not seeking re-election to the House. Fourteen Republican senators said they were not seeking another term.
More than 1,230 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the riot, ranging from misdemeanors such as trespassing to felonies such as assault on a police officer and seditious conspiracy. About 730 people have pleaded guilty so far, and about 170 people have been convicted of at least one crime in trials decided by a judge or jury, according to an Associated Press database.
Testifying before the committee on January 6, 2021, Dunn detailed to lawmakers the mob that poured into the House lobby next to the Rotunda, some with “MAGA” hats and “Trump 2020” written on them. He said some of the rioters, some wearing casual shirts, shouted “no” and refused to leave. “No, hey, this is our home” “President Trump invited us here” “We’re here to stop the steal” “Joe Biden is not the president” “ Nobody voted for Joe Biden!”
Monday, June 13, 2022 Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn attends the Jan. 6 House Select Committee meeting. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
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“I'm a law enforcement officer and I keep politics out of my job. But in this situation, I'm like, 'Well, I voted for Joe Biden. Doesn't my vote count? Do you have any?’” Dunn testified.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
