At least 13 Republicans running to public office have been identified as being part of the attack on Capitol Square on January 6.
Newsweek has compiled a list of GOP candidates who disclosed their participation in the day’s events through social media posts or comments to news outlets. Two candidates were charged with criminal offenses in connection to the incident.
Mark Middleton, a candidate to the Texas House of Representatives, is facing multiple federal chargesAfter posting videos online about being the first to enter the Capitol, Middleton was charged in connection to the attack. Middleton is facing charges of assaulting a officer, disorderly behavior, and many other charges. His campaign website suggests that the far-right candidate is running on the platform of secession.
Jason Riddle, a Democrat representing New Hampshire in the House of Representatives is running for Rep. Annie Kuster’s seat. Riddle pleaded guilty to theft and parading, demonstration or picketing related to the attack. He had allegedly stolen trinkets from the Senate parliamentarian’s office and drank from a bottle of wine there, according to a criminal complaint.
Four other candidates are running to be a member of the House of Representatives. Teddy Daniels posted a video of the Capitol on January 6th and is challenging Rep. Matt Cartwright from Pennsylvania. Derrick Van Orden, who told reporters he was at this attack, is also running in Wisconsin to unseat a Democrat.
In New York, Tina Forte is running to unseat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) – a challenge that will face long oddsOcasio-Cortez won her 2020 re-election by more than 44 percent. Forte livestreamed from the Capitol on January 6, saying, “we need to fight for our freedom, fight for our country, fight for our president, fight for our Constitution.”
Audra Johnson, a Republican, is running to unseat Rep. Peter Meijer from Michigan. Meijer did not voteto overturn election results in November 2020, and was one 10 Republicans in the Housewho voted to impeach Donald Trump despite the opposition of their party.
Johnson’s challenge to Meijer reflects the Republican Party’s increasing hostility toward members who refuse to bow to Trump and the authoritarian brand of politics that he has helped make mainstream in the GOP. GOP members had voted against Trump earlier in the year. Voted to remove Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) from her leadership position within the party for refusing to peddle Trump’s election lies, despite the fact that she has often promoted other vile policies by Republicans.
Recent developments have seen Republican officials. They have been inspiring their followersTo attack fellow Republicans who are not on the same side as them. In November, Rep. Fred Upton (R-Michigan) shared a recording of a death threat he received over his “yes” vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill, with a caller hurling profanities and labelling Upton as a “traitor” – the same insult that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) had used to label GOP members who voted the same way on Twitter.
Several of the Capitol attackers are running for governor in several states, including Nevada, Nebraska and Michigan – the latter of which will challenge Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, was attacked at the Capitol. a kidnapping plotLast year, far right extremists criticized her pandemic-related regulations.
These candidates would join the Association if elected at least 10 other RepublicanParticipants in the attack who were elected to local and state offices. According to, many of these officials enjoy the support of their fellow party leaders. HuffPost — a sign of the right’s ongoing radicalization.