Former US Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn faced defeat in the Maryland congressional primary election despite gaining national recognition for his book on protecting lawmakers during the January 6 insurrection. Dunn, a newcomer to politics, lost to state senator Sarah Elfreth in Maryland’s third congressional district. Elfreth's victory is attributed partly to significant support from a pro-Israel group, United Democracy Project (UDP), which spent $4.2 million backing her campaign.
Elfreth's win is significant as she is now favored to succeed the retiring Democratic congressman John Sarbanes in the House of Representatives. The district, encompassing Annapolis and suburbs of Washington and Baltimore, is considered a solid Democratic stronghold.
Dunn raised $4.6 million during the election cycle, mainly from small-dollar donors, with an average contribution of $21.64. In contrast, Elfreth raised $1.5 million but received substantial outside support from UDP. The group's decision to invest in the Maryland primary was unexpected, as neither Dunn nor Elfreth had been particularly vocal about US-Israel relations or the war in Gaza.
UDP's involvement in the race was seen as a response to fellow candidate John Morse, a labor lawyer who received Senator Bernie Sanders' endorsement and focused his campaign on supporting a ceasefire in Gaza. UDP expressed concerns about "serious anti-Israel candidates" in the race, prompting their support for Elfreth.
Dunn criticized UDP's involvement, framing it as a threat to democracy and a disrespect to Sarbanes' legacy of campaign finance reform. However, Elfreth's lead proved insurmountable, and she is now set to win the House seat in November.