Harry Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer who served during the January 6 riot and is running for office for the first time, is using the power of the emotional testimony he gave during the riot to become one of the nation’s top He became a political fundraiser. Televised Congressional hearing on the attack.
His $4.6 million war chest is larger than any other Maryland House candidate and larger than all but three non-incumbent Democratic House candidates nationwide, according to campaign finance records.
But those contributions and his rallying cry to “save democracy” will face a tough test Tuesday from a crowded field of Democrats vying in Maryland’s closely watched House primary. For left-wing voters.
Dunn’s main competitor is state Sen. Sarah Elfreth, who has raised $1.5 million for her campaign and received an additional $4.4 million in aid from outside groups, campaign finance reports show.
Almost all of that spending comes from the United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Dunn also pledged to support the Jewish state.
Both Mr. Elfreth and Mr. Dunn have vowed to make campaign finance reform a top priority for Congress. As part of his pro-democracy platform, Dunn is refusing aid from outside groups.
He is concerned about the amount spent on his campaign, given that the candidates are running to replace retiring Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes, who sought to limit the influence of campaign funds during his nine terms in office. He said the external funding was ironic.
“That’s terrible,” Mr. Dunn said. “I wanted to make it one of my goals in Congress to keep big money and big business out of influencing elections. And now I’m facing it. That’s the way the system works. I know that’s how it works, but it’s not how it’s supposed to be.”
Still, much of the money he raised came from one of four officers who testified at the first hearing of a House committee investigating attacks aimed at disrupting the certification of the 2020 presidential election. This is closely related to the national platform that was subsequently acquired. .
Dunn’s testimony detailed how his fellow officers were covered in blood in the attack and how rioters hurled racial slurs at him. He quickly became a regular on cable news, and in 2023 was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Biden for his role defending the Capitol.
He has described himself as the candidate best suited to take on former President Donald J. Trump’s conservative movement, a message that resonates with liberal donors across the country.
Mr. Elfreth, by contrast, is focused on his political career. When she was elected to the Maryland State Senate in 2018, she was the youngest woman ever to do so. Since then, she has passed 84 bills with bipartisan support, according to her campaign.
Like Dunn, Elfreth said he would make campaign finance reform a priority for Congress.
“I’m going to do everything in my power to get money out of politics, but in the meantime, this is our system,” she said.
Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District. It includes the state capital, Annapolis, and Howard County, a rapidly growing region with suburbs such as Columbia and Ellicott City in the orbit of both Baltimore and Washington, DC.
The winner of the primary immediately becomes the front-runner to win the Democratic-heavy district in the general election against a Republican candidate, which will also be decided Tuesday.
Other Maryland Democrats participating in the primary include Clarence Lamb, a state senator from Howard County and a physician on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University, who raised $736,100. Juan Dominguez, a military veteran and son of Cuban immigrants, raised $377,000. and criminal defense attorney Michael Coburn, who raised $230,000.
No other candidate has raised more than $200,000, according to campaign finance records.
The Maryland race is one of three mid-Atlantic congressional district primaries involving candidates from the Save Democracy movement.
In Pennsylvania, a broad-based campaign on women’s rights, abortion access and inflation last month saw former news anchor Janelle Stelson easily defeat pro-democracy advocate Mike O’Brien, a retired Marine Corps officer, in the Democratic state. proved more valuable than a narrow focus on defending principles. Democracy is central to his candidacy.
In Virginia next month, Evgeny Vindman, also known as Eugene, is running for Congress, and his twin brother Alexander will shine a spotlight on Trump’s efforts to dig up dirt on Trump by giving more power to Ukraine. , highlighting the important role played by his twin brother Alexander. Biden. Vindman is seeking to replace Democratic U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who is running for governor.
