---
title: "Ousted senior FBI official running for Congress in Maryland"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/276642154.md"
description: "Dave Sundberg, former head of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, announced his candidacy for Congress in Maryland’s 5th District, aiming to succeed Rep. Steny Hoyer. Sundberg emphasized his commitment to the rule of law and protecting democracy. He joins a competitive Democratic primary field, including former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Maryland Del. Adrian Boafo. The district is considered reliably blue, making the Democratic primary winner a strong contender for the general election in November."
datetime: "2026-02-23T20:52:01.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/276642154.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276642154.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/276642154.md)
---

# Ousted senior FBI official running for Congress in Maryland

Dave Sundberg, who previously helmed the FBI’s Washington Field Office before he was ultimately pushed out after President Trump returned to office, announced on Monday that he’s running to succeed Rep. Steny Hoyer (D) in Maryland’s 5th Congressional District.

“I’m running for Congress because I believe in the rule of law, not the rule of one man,” Sundberg said in a statement announcing his candidacy.

“I’ve spent my career defending our Constitution from threats abroad and at home. Now, I’m ready to take that same fight to Congress to protect our democracy from those who think they are above the law,” he added.

Sundberg most recently served as the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which aided former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations probes into the 2020 election and the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. The office also helmed the agency’s probe into the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Sundberg joins a crowded field of Democrats running to replace Hoyer. Candidates jockeying for the House seat include include former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who defended the Capitol during the 2021 attack, and Maryland Del. Adrian Boafo, who’s endorsed by Hoyer, among others.

The 2026 cycle has attracted a handful of new Democratic candidates who have been defined in large part by their defiance to Trump, including retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a star witness in Trump’s first impeachment, running for Florida Senate; former GOP Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan running as a Democrat for Georgia governor and former conservative lawyer George Conway, who is vying for a House seat in New York City.

The state’s 5th Congressional District is reliably blue, meaning that whoever wins the Democratic primary in June is seen as the heavy favorite to win in November.

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