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Source: The Washington Post / Getty
Harry Dunn, one of the Black police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol from rioters during the Jan. 6 insurrection, is running for Congress.
On Friday (Jan. 5), former Capitol police officer Harry Dunn announced that he was running for a congressional seat in Maryland. Dunn declared his candidacy on X, formerly Twitter, a day before the third anniversary of the vicious and violent attack by supporters of former President Donald Trump on the U.S. Capitol building, which temporarily disrupted the certification of then-President-elect Joe Biden.

In an interview with the Associated Press concerning his announcement, Dunn said: “As a Capitol Police officer, I did all that I can do in that role to protect, defend, and preserve democracy. But that is exhausted now.” The 15-year veteran retired from the Capitol Police last month. Dunn became known as one of the prominent faces representing the embattled officers saying he was “hell-bent on finishing what he started” being one of the figures who protected members of Congress as rioters swarmed the halls, protecting a stairwell leading to the Lower West Terrace.
In testifying before the House Select Committee investigating the insurrection, Dunn, who is Black, spoke about the intense violence of the rioters and being hit with numerous racial slurs. “I know so many other officers continue to hurt both physically and emotionally,” Dunn said during his testimony. “What we went through that day was traumatic.” The investigation would lead to over 1,230 people arrested and charged with federal crimes related to the insurrection, with 730 pleading guilty and 170 being convicted of at least one charge through trial.
Dunn would later be awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Biden for his service. He is entering the race for the 3rd District of Maryland, a heavily Democratic district after Rep. John Sarbanes declared he would not seek reelection last October. Sarbanes is one of 12 from his party not returning to Congress while 14 Republican members of Congress have also declared that they would not seek reelection.
“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,” Dunn said in an interview with AP.