Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday endorsed former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer (D) in Maryland’s 5th Congressional District.
Dunn, who defended Pelosi’s office during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, is mounting his second run for Congress after losing to Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.) in the Democratic primary in Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District nearly two years ago.
The endorsement pits Pelosi against Hoyer, who endorsed state Rep. Adrian Boafo (D) — his former campaign manager — in January, roughly two weeks after the 86-year-old announced his retirement.
Pelosi and Hoyer are longtime Democratic leadership rivals who served with one another for years at the top of the House Democratic Caucus.
In 2001, Pelosi defeated Hoyer 118-95 to become House Democratic whip, the No. 2 job in the caucus. When Pelosi ascended to House Democratic leader in 2003, Hoyer became whip and then defeated the late Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), the preferred choice of then-Speaker-elect Pelosi, in the race for Democratic majority leader in 2006.
Pelosi and Hoyer led the Democratic caucus in the lower chamber for two decades, until they both stepped down from leadership roles in 2023.
“My friend Harry Dunn is a true American hero and exactly the right person to represent Maryland in Congress,” Pelosi said in a release. “On January 6, 2021, Harry Dunn bravely defended our democracy from Donald Trump’s violent MAGA mob. Since then, Harry’s been called to do everything he can to protect Marylanders and all Americans from extremists like Donald Trump. I’m proud to endorse Harry Dunn for Congress.”
The former officer praised Pelosi in the release, saying the retiring lawmaker “stood firm when our democracy was under attack and helped lead the country through one of the most difficult moments in our history.”
“I’m grateful for her support and proud to have her in this fight,” he added. “Marylanders deserve leadership that will stand up to extremism, defend our democracy, and deliver for working families — and that’s exactly what I’m running to do in Congress.”
Dunn, meanwhile, entered the race in February to represent Hoyer’s district, located just south and west of Annapolis. While Dunn lives in the state’s 8th Congressional District, he told The Hill in February he will move to the 5th Congressional District if he wins the June 23 primary and the November general election.