In a significant political move, former senior FBI official David Sundberg has announced his candidacy for the 5th Congressional District in Maryland, a seat currently held by retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer. Sundberg’s decision comes after his high-profile departure from the FBI, where he was notified of his termination by the Trump administration in 2025.
Former senior FBI official David Sundberg announced Monday that he plans to run for Congress this year in Maryland’s 5th Congressional District. Sundberg is running for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., which he has held since he won a special election in 1981. The district covers southern Maryland and portions of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties. Cook Political Report rates it as a solid Democratic seat in this year’s midterm elections.
Sundberg, who joined the FBI in 2002, previously served as the assistant director in charge of its Washington field office during the Biden administration and was notified in late January 2025, just days after President Donald Trump took office, that he was going to lose his job. His termination was among a number of firings of top FBI officials at the beginning of Trump’s second term.
Background and Motivation
“I’m running for Congress because I believe in the rule of law, not the rule of one man,” Sundberg said in a statement in an apparent reference to Trump. “I have spent my life running toward crises to protect this country — from enlisting in the Air Force to serving as a local detective to dedicating over two decades to the mission of the FBI. 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.”
In his statement Monday, Sundberg said he was pushed out of the agency for doing his job and “refusing to allow politics to compromise justice.” He also criticized the Trump administration’s actions, stating, “I have watched as the White House has weaponized the Department of Justice against political opponents and used the National Guard to intimidate our own citizens, all while seizing levers of power that are supposed to be balanced across government,” Sundberg said. He added, “I am running to ensure Congress becomes a co-equal branch of government again and does not abdicate its responsibility to push back.”
Context and Implications
Democrats have criticized Trump for pressuring the DOJ led by Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate and prosecute those whom the president perceives as his political enemies, including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton. Sundberg also referred to Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to cities around the country, including Washington, D.C., to fight crime.
NBC News has reached out to the White House for comment on Sundberg’s announcement. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray put Sundberg in charge of the Washington field office in December 2022. In that role, he oversaw 1,600 employees and led FBI operations in Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia. He was in charge of the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and the investigation into the pipe bombs left near the Republican and Democratic parties’ headquarters the night of Jan. 5, 2021.
Other Candidates and Endorsements
Hoyer has endorsed one of his former campaign managers, Maryland House Del. Adrian Boafo, for his seat. Several other Democrats are running for the seat, including former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, Quincy Bareebe, who founded a home health care care business, and Harry Jarin, a consultant for emergency services and volunteer firefighter.
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