On Jan. 6, Harry Dunn, a former Capitol police officer who defended the Capitol and ran for the House in Maryland last month, is launching a new PAC to support candidates running against pro-Trump Republicans.
The group will be called Dunn’s Defenders of Democracy, and its goal is to prevent former President Donald Trump and what Dunn calls “MAGA extremists” in the Republican Party from winning this fall’s election. Dunn plans to support candidates on the ballot through the group, using her personal story and fundraising skills to help in targeted races.
“The first thing I have to decide when you want to run for office is your reason: why are you doing it, why are you running?” Dunn said in an interview with NBC News on Tuesday before announcing his plans on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Tuesday.
“My reason is to do everything I can to protect the institution of Congress, to fight against Donald Trump, to defend our Constitution, our democracy,” Dunn continued. “Despite my poor showing in the polls, there’s definitely room to keep fighting.”
The group will inherit the rest of the money from Dunn’s campaign — though it won’t be clear how much until preliminary fundraising reports come in this summer.
Dunn, a 15-year veteran of the Capitol Police, says he was racially abused and assaulted by a mob on Jan. 6, and he testified about his experience before a House committee. investigates the attack and in the seditious conspiracy trial members of the far-right “Oath Keepers”.
It is against this background that Dunn decided to run for Congress in Maryland this year. Political newcomer despite national recognition, endorsements from prominent members of Congress, and significant fundraising It didn’t reach Democratic state Sen. Sarah Elfreth. Elfreth highlighted his legislative experience and received support from an outside group affiliated with the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
In his first run for political office, Dunn has raised more than $4.5 million in less than six months, making him one of the top 30 House candidates so far this election cycle, including incumbents raising funds for re-election starting in January 2023. . This gives Dunn a strong financial platform for his new group.
Dunn said he doesn’t have a financial goal in mind and that the group’s plans will depend on what the candidates it endorses ask of it. But after the primary, he said he wanted to boost Democrats who agree that corporate money doesn’t belong in politics.
“It was no secret that I was a very strong fundraiser – my story and my message and one was to stop the MAGA Republicans and two was my desire to get dark money and MAGA money and fair elections. It’s a simple story and it resonated with a lot of people.” he said.
Dunn is also taking a more visible role in supporting the re-election of President Joe Biden – joining his former police comrades in defending the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Follow up with the Biden campaign.
When asked if the group could support moderate Republicans to counter Trump-supporting Republicans, Dunn said he wouldn’t take the concept off the table — but “doesn’t see any Republicans on the other side who are against Donald Trump, as if they don’t exist anymore.”
“Donald Trump has surrogates, there are people in the Republican Party who don’t want to do anything about what happened that day, who don’t want to do anything,” Dunn said of the Jan. 6 attack.
“It’s not just everyday American citizens. These are elected officials who cry and say these things. That’s why it’s so important that we never stop telling our story,” Dunn said.
And he added that while he doesn’t have any specific office in mind for a potential future bid, he wouldn’t rule out another run.