Harry Dunn, Former U.S. Capitol Police, Announces Bid For Congress

Marc Griffin
·3 min read
55
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Harry Dunn, a former U.S. Capitol police officer, has announced his bid for Congress. The Associated Press reports that the ex-Seargent was one of the men who helped quash rioters during the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack.

Dunn revealed his run for Mayland state Congress on Friday (Jan. 5), a day before the third anniversary of the insurrection. The ex-law enforcer is looking to replace Dem. Rep. John Sarbanes of Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District.

He took to social media with a video to accompany his announcement. “On Jan. 6th, I defended our democracy from insurrectionists as a Capitol Police Officer. After, President Biden honored me with the Presidential Citizens Medal,” he typed. “Today, I’m running for Congress to stop Trump’s MAGA extremists & ensure it never happens again.”

The video depicts a reenactment of the insurrection led by thousands of Donald Trump supporters who argued that President Biden’s 2020 presidential win was illegitimate. As rioters thrash the Capitol building, Dunn walks by, providing deeper insight into why he’s running for Congress.

“I did my duty as a police officer and as an American and defended our nation’s Capitol from violent insurrectionists,” Dunn said in the video. “I’m running for Congress because the forces that spurred that violent attack are still at work, and as a patriotic American, it is my duty to defend our democracy.”

According to The New York Times, Harry Dunn has explained what other issues are on his agenda if he wins. The 40-year-old expressed a desire to fight for “common sense” gun reform and stand firm in the fight for women’s rights, voting rights, and affordable health care in America. He added that he is the best candidate to fight against Trump’s ever-present MAGA movement.

“I’ve been miserable since Jan. 6, and I think the only thing that’s really kept me motivated to keep going into work was to continue to fight. We’re literally an election away from the extinction of democracy as we know it. Trump is gaining even more traction, and his supporters are getting even stronger and more emboldened, and we need people that are willing to step up and fight back.”

In 2023, President Joe Biden awarded Harry Dunn with the Presidential Citizens Medal. The award recognized his role in warding off rioters during the insurrection.

U.S. Capitol Police Officer Pfc. Harry Dunn listens during a hearing held by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol on June 09, 2022 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The bipartisan committee, which has been gathering evidence related to the January 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol for almost a year, will present its findings in a series of televised hearings. On January 6, 2021, supporters of President Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol Building during an attempt to disrupt a congressional vote to confirm the electoral college win for Joe Biden.

More from VIBE.com