Many insurrectionists have run for office—but voters are overwhelmingly rejecting them

Fourteen individuals charged with participating in the January 6th insurrection and later pardoned by President Donald Trump either ran for office or declared their intention to run during this election cycle and have already lost or withdrawn from the race. Only one person in this position appears to be on the ballot in November: Cleophus Dulaney, a longshot candidate for Congress from Ohio. Since receiving pardons from Trump in January 2025, insurrectionists have sought political office from local positions like town clerk and school board all the way up to governorships and congressional seats. At least 22 insurrectionists ran for office or declared their intention to run between the January 6, 2021 insurrection and getting pardoned by Trump, and all failed to get elected. 

One additional pardoned insurrectionist, Taylor Taranto, ran for a local Republican precinct officer role in Franklin County, Washington. According to the county auditor’s office, he won the election this year after running unopposed. Taranto has had multiple run-ins with the law since January 6th—in 2023 he was arrested near former President Obama’s home and charged with multiple counts of illegal firearm and ammunition possession. In 2025, he returned to Washington, DC, wandering the neighborhood of Rep. Jamie Raskin—causing the Department of Justice to recommend that he be incarcerated again. Instead, he apparently returned to Washington state.

When given the choice, voters have rejected insurrectionist candidates—though with Donald Trump, the chief inciter and continued apologist for insurrection, in the Oval Office, and election deniers filling key positions in local and federal government, the Big Lie remains an active threat to our democracy.

Cleophus Dulaney was arrested in 2024 and charged with multiple felonies after allegedly pushing a bike rack barricade into police officers. Dulaney is running against incumbent Joyce Beatty to represent Ohio’s 3rd congressional district, and ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Before the insurrection, Dulaney ran for Congress in 2020, but lost by more than 70 points in the primary. 

One pardoned candidate who was convicted of participating in January 6th lost his bid for South Carolina state house in 2024—but ended up with a powerful Trump administration position instead. During Trump’s second term, Elias Irizarry was hired for a role in the Defense Department’s Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict office, which requires a top-secret security clearance. 

Unsuccessful candidates during the 2026 election cycle

1. Larry Brock: Ran for State House in Texas and lost in the Republican primary 
2. Jacob Chansley: Planned to run for Arizona governor—did not make it onto the ballot
3. Gene DiGiovanni Jr.: Ran for Derby town clerk and Second Ward Alderman in Connecticut in 2025, lost in general election 
4. Kim Dragoo: Ran for St. Joseph, Missouri school board and lost in the general election in April, 2026
5. Tyler Dykes: Ran for Congress in South Carolina and lost in the primary 
6. Derrick Evans: Announced run for Senate in West Virginia in 2024, withdrew in June 2025, and then announced run for Congress but did not appear on the ballot 
7. Philip Grillo: Lost in primary election for New York state assembly seat 
8. Adam Johnson: Ran for a Florida county commission district seat, then withdrew, apparently to pursue a different seat in 2028
9. David Medina: Ran for Oregon governor and lost in the Republican primary
10. Brian Mock: Ran for state senate in Minnesota but dropped out of the race
11. Ryan Nichols: Announced run for Congress in Texas in 2025, withdrew from the race two days later
12. Stewart Parks: Ran for Congress in Tennessee but withdrew or was disqualified
13. John Strand: Ran for Congress in Florida and lost in the primary
14. Ryan Zink: Ran for Congress in Texas and lost in the Republican primary 

Unsuccessful candidates during 2022 and 2024 election cycles

1. Mitchell Bosch
2. Matthew Brackley
3. Jeremy Brown
4. Jacob Chansley
5. Reed Christensen
6. Kim Dragoo
7. Derrick Evans
8. Elias Irizarry
9. Ryan Kelley
10. Siaka Massaquoi
11. Lois McNicoll 
12. Jared Miller
13. Sam Montoya
14. Stewart Parks
15. Willard “Jake” Peart
16. Jason Riddle
17. Barry Saturday
18. Donald J. Smith
19. John Strand
20. Isaac A. Thomas
21. Dane Thompson
22. Ryan Zink

Ilia Sheikholeslami, Josie Hwang, Michael Gergeni, Sophia Barriga-Hernandez, Smrithi Senthilnathan and Soumya Kamada contributed to this piece.