Harry Dunn, the former Capitol Police officer who rose to political stardom after engaging in a heated battle with supporters of former President Donald J. Trump since January 6, 2021, was arrested Tuesday night , was greeted like a celebrity in Annapolis, Maryland.
But there was also an undercurrent of skepticism among attendees at the Beacon Waterfront Restaurant, where he appeared at a campaign event to strengthen his bid for the U.S. House of Representatives.
“We have someone here with a proven legislative record,” said Annapolis Democrat Jessica Sunshine, referring to state Sen. Sarah Elfreth, her main opponent in next month's Democratic primary. I told Mr. But, she added, “You have a heart.”
But Dunn, an imposing 6-foot-7, 325-pound former offensive lineman, didn't hold back on his reasons for running. He did it to save democracy, which was in danger. “At this moment, now? It takes a fighter,” he said.
He's not the only one making that case against Democrats.
Over the next three months, primaries will be held in three Mid-Atlantic House districts, from the Washington, D.C. suburbs to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, drawing on the strength of the memory of January 6th and the cry to “save our democracy.” It will be tested to see if things remain the same. That's enough for Democratic voters, who have many other concerns.
For many voters, the only factor supporting candidates like Dunn, who played a starring role in the Jan. 6 hearing, and Evgeny Vindman, who along with his identical twin brother Alexander is known as Eugene, is , only partisan celebrities. played a key role in highlighting Mr. Trump's efforts to coercively push Ukraine to dig up dirt on Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Margaret Pepin, 71, couldn't believe it when Vindman rang her video doorbell in Occoquan, Virginia, on Tuesday afternoon. Her unmistakable face, made famous by Trump's first impeachment, appeared on her security screen. “I looked at my ring. I said, 'Is that really him?'” she says, admitting she may have confused him with his well-known twin brother. Ta. “I'm excited.”
The celebrity candidate factor allows “Save Democracy” candidates to raise large sums of money nationally, leaving inexperienced Democrats to dominate the airwaves. But with issues such as abortion, guns, inflation and immigration gaining attention, victory is not guaranteed even in the Democratic primary, where threats to democracy will be a key issue in Trump's year of voting. Not that there is.
“There are certainly a few people for whom that is not enough,” Vindman said of his campaign focus. “But the vast majority of people think democracy is the most important issue, because they think of it the same way I do. All other issues are built into it. Masu.”
Voters will soon have their say.
In Pennsylvania, Democratic voters will go to the polls on April 23rd to choose between two leading candidates, Janelle Stelson and Janelle Stelson, Democrats. mike obrienand the other four all hope to run against conservative Republican Rep. Scott Perry, who was deeply involved in Trump's efforts to stay in power after his defeat in the 2020 election.
O'Brien, a former Marine Corps officer and fighter pilot, has put preserving democracy at the heart of his candidacy. Mr. Stelson, a well-known former television newscaster, cited this issue as one of many.
Dunn is one of the 22 Democrats vying to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes in the May 14 Maryland primary election, which will almost certainly determine the next House member in the state's Democratic-heavy 3rd Congressional District. One of the people. His opponents include state senator Ms. Elfreth, backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, two veteran members of the Maryland House of Representatives, and a prominent gun control activist.
Vindman, another new candidate, is seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who is running for governor, and will join seven other Democrats when primary voters in the Democratic district vote June 18. I hope that they will support him more than his name.
Mr. Vindman, an Army colonel who was fired from Mr. Trump's National Security Council for his involvement in the first impeachment inquiry, and Mr. Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer, have become darlings of Democratic activist groups and have used their fame to great effect. ing. Advantages of financing.
This funding follows the “Save Democracy” movement.
Vindman had raised more than $2 million by the end of last year, $1.5 million of which came from donors whose contributions were too small to require disclosure. Some of the bigger talents include former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Mark Mark, the actor widely known for his role as Luke Skywalker and more narrowly known as Trump's ardent enemy. Includes Hamill.
His closest fundraising rival, Prince William County Supervisor Margaret Franklin, raised $122,894.
Dunn doesn't have to disclose fundraising figures yet because he didn't officially launch his campaign until January, but campaign officials said he expected his first quarter total next week to be close to $3.7 million. It is said that it will be announced when it becomes available. His closest competitor, Ms. Elfreth, who raised just over $400,000 last year, has received significant funding from outside groups.
Not surprisingly, the celebrity candidates of Mr. Vindman and Mr. Dunn caused some backlash among local elected Democrats who were waiting for an opportunity to run for Congress. Women, many of whom are minorities in both races, are feeling the sadness especially deeply.
“Yes, this campaign is about saving democracy, but it's also about restoring the civil rights, human rights, and women's rights that people fought and died for and are disappearing,” Maryland said. said Terry L. Hill, a physician who worked at . He served in the House of Delegates for nearly 10 years.
“I have great respect for his heroic actions,” she said of Mr. Dunn. “I really respect what he did on January 6, 2021, but I'm really focused on January 6, 2025, when the next Congress is inaugurated.”
The race for Maryland's 3rd Congressional District pits Dunn, a newcomer to the political world, against Elfreth, a veteran lawmaker who has secured 84 bills since being elected as the youngest woman, with celebrities and workers alike. This may be the purest version of the tension between. She became Maryland's historic state senator in 2018.
O'Brien called Perry's role in the 2020 effort to overturn the election “number one.” one issue,” and which he believes voters will agree with. “In the primaries, the Democratic Party is emphasizing democracy itself first and foremost,” he said.
But with the April 23 primary just weeks away, Mr. O'Brien is seen as an underdog against Mr. Stelson, who has made more nuanced statements about women's rights, abortion access, and gas and food prices. There is.
“That's certainly a big part of the story,” she said of Jan. 6 and Mr. Perry. “That's not all.”
But for national Democrats, the most contested state may be Virginia, as they cannot afford to lose the seats they currently hold. Democratic opponents are concerned about Vindman's weaknesses — he is a relative newcomer to Northern Virginia and will vote for the first time in 2022.
He said his 25 years of service as an Army attorney may also be helpful to some Republican voters in the district, which is home to four military installations. But sometimes he gets lost in the rhetoric of the ardent Trump enemies who have embraced him.
“Who would hate my guts for what I did to the Orange Prophet?” he asked, referring to Trump. “definitely.”
