He’s got our vote!
Harry Dunn has been serving as a Capitol police officer for the last 15 years, The Grio reports. Three years ago, Dunn was on the frontlines as insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol and attempted to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election. Fueled by conspiracies and support for former President Donald Trump, the mob ravaged the Capitol as Dunn and his fellow officers defended democracy.
Since then, more than 1200 people have been charged with federal crimes in the incident, with about 700 pleading guilty to charges and nearly 200 convicted on at least one charge. Dunn testified before Congress in 2021 about the horrors he experienced that day and the racism he was subjected to, something he said he had never seen in his more than a decade on the force.
Now, Dunn has stepped down from his role as a Capitol police officer, determined to give back in another way. This week, the former officer announced his run for Congress in Maryland, citing the very real danger still lingering from the Jan. 6th attack.
“On January 6th, I defended our democracy from insurrectionists as a Capitol Police Officer. After, President Biden honored me with the Presidential Citizens Medal. Today, I’m running for Congress to stop Trump’s MAGA extremists & ensure it never happens again,” Dunn announced via X.
The last three years have been challenging for Dunn in what he described as “a rollercoaster ride of emotions.” Realizing that the same ideology that caused the Capitol attack is still alive and well as Trump seeks reelection sparked something in Dunn. With longtime Maryland Rep. John Sarbanes announcing that he would not run for reelection, a door was opened, and Dunn is stepping up to represent Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District.
“This moment that we are in requires everybody to step up into their role in defending and preserving democracy, and I’m stepping into mine right now…I don’t think it’s farfetched to say that we are one election cycle away from extinction of democracy as we know it today,” Dunn told reporters.
Sarbanes previously served nine terms and is now one of nearly two dozen Democrats not seeking reelection. Dunn feels like this is a result of the country’s current climate and something he hopes to fix. As a former frontline worker, he feels his expertise will help give a fresh perspective and breathe new energy into Congress.
“A lot of people are leaving, because I don’t know of a better way to say it, it’s a very toxic place. But I do believe that in times like this, it is important for good people to stand up, so the bad guys, so to speak, do not win,” said Dunn.
“I’ve been on the frontlines, physically fighting for democracy, seeing the infighting on the floors in the halls of Congress, seeing members of Congress not even be able to have common decent discussions with each other… And I think that I would offer a very unique perspective – one as a person who has physically defended them and then two, who has seen the ins and outs of it every day, and [is] ideologically going to push back against these individuals trying to destroy our democracy,” Dunn added.
Cover photo: Harry Dunn, Former Officer Who Defended U.S. Capitol, Announces Bid for Congress/Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Pool/Associated Press