Harry Dunn, officer who defended the US Capitol on Jan. 6, is running for Congress in Maryland

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A former police officer who defended the U.S. Capitol against rioters on Jan. 6 announced Friday he is running for Congress in Maryland.

Harry Dunn wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will be running in a crowded Democratic primary to replace Rep. John Sarbanes, a Democrat who is not seeking reelection.

Dunn made the announcement a day before the third anniversary of the attack at the Capitol that disrupted the certification of the 2020 election, saying in his campaign announcement that former President Donald Trump was “hell-bent on finishing what he started" three years ago.

“On January 6th, I defended our democracy from insurrectionists as a Capitol Police Officer. After, President Biden honored me with the Presidential Citizens Medal," Dunn wrote in the announcement of his candidacy. "Today, I’m running for Congress to stop Trump’s MAGA extremists & ensure it never happens again.”