QAnon Shaman's Run for Election in 2024 Explained

A new, unexpected but recognizable candidate, who became emblematic of the January 6 insurrection, may soon enter U.S. politics in time for the 2024 elections.

Jacob Chansley, 35, aka the QAnon Shaman, recently filed paperwork declaring interest in running for Congress as U.S. representative in Arizona's Eighth District next year.

Chansley was jailed in 2021 for his involvement in the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. He was released to a residential reentry center, or halfway house, in March, according to The Associated Press.

Since his release, Chansley has appeared in several media interviews. Newsweek has contacted Chansley's last known attorney.

Who Is the QAnon Shaman?

Before January 6, 2021, Chansley was already known as the QAnon Shaman. He was one of the most recognizable figures in the QAnon movement, appearing at rallies showing support for former President Donald Trump, his costume drawing attention at protests.

Chansley has previously spoken publicly of his support for QAnon, a conspiracy movement that thrived during the Trump presidency, centered on fantastical theories about cannibalistic pedophile elites. Chansley was photographed at rallies with placards reading "Q SENT ME!"

Before Chansley was sentenced in 2021 for his involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot, his lawyer, Albert Watkins, said Chansley had repudiated QAnon, according to The New York Times.

However, speaking after sentencing, Chansley indicated a continued interest in QAnon, telling interviewer Andrew Callaghan that the U.S. was in the "midst of the storm." "The storm" refers to the moment, QAnon followers believed, that Donald Trump would orchestrate the arrest of thousands of people, connected to a "deep state" cabal of elites and Satanic Democrats involved in a child sex trafficking ring.

"I think that we're in the midst of the storm with all this Covid stuff," Chansley said.

"I think that we're in the midst of it right now if you think about the damage that's being done to our economy, to our culture, to our national identity, to uh, the uh, the truther movement as it were.

"But I think that it's important that people, like, realize that people now know about child and human trafficking, and they also know about the hundreds of deep underground military bases, uh, in the United States and all over the world,

"They also know about things like spiritual parasites and the way that you know psychic vampires play a role, they know about adrenochrome, they know about Bohemian Grove, they know about Jeffrey Epstein and his island, and all the pedophile networks and the pedophile code."

During his interview with Callaghan, Chansley said the nickname QAanon Shaman was given to him by Alex Jones, the Infowars host.

"He's the one that called me the QAnon Shaman for the very first time when I did an interview with him..." said Chansley.

What Was Jacob Chansley Convicted Of?

Chansley became a notable figure on January 6, seen shirtless and wearing a horned headdress on the Senate dais, where Vice President Mike Pence had stood about an hour earlier.

Prosecutors had said Chansley also sat in Pence's seat on the Senate floor, and when an officer asked him to move. He refused, saying "Mike Pence is a f****** traitor." He also left a note on the Senate dais that said, "It's only a matter of time. Justice is coming."

He pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, a charge that comes with a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.

Prosecutors had asked U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, who has presided over several other Capitol riot cases, to sentence Chansley to 51 months in jail, which is at the top of the sentencing guideline range.

Chansley was handed 41 months by Lamberth, who said: "What you did was terrible. You made yourself the epitome of the riot,"

"I don't take any pleasure in these sentencings," Lamberth said.

"What you did here was actually obstruct the functioning of the whole government. It's such a serious crime."

Can a Convict Run for Election?

According to the U.S. Constitution, House members must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and live in the state they represent. The Constitution does not mention criminal records being an impediment.

Under Arizona state legislation a conviction for a felony suspends the civil right to vote and hold public office. However, rights are automatically restored for people with only one felony conviction after the sentence has been completed. An application to restore rights can be made in certain cases for those with more than one conviction.

What Contest Is Chansley Trying To Enter?

Chansley has applied to run for Arizona's 8th Congressional District as a member of the Libertarian Party as part of the 2024 General Election.

Arizona's 8th Congressional District is up for grabs in 2024, after Republican incumbent Debbie Lesko decided not to run for reelection. There are a handful of Republican candidates that Chansley will be running against, including Abraham Hamadeh, a Kari Lake ally.

Hamadeh was endorsed by Lake, who is currently running for a Senate seat in Arizona. Lake won the Republican nomination for Arizona's governor race in 2022, with an endorsement from Trump, but ultimately lost to her Democratic opponent Katie Hobbs. Hamadeh lost in 2022 when he ran for Arizona's attorney general. His Democratic opponent Kris Mayes beat him by a little under 300 votes. Like Lake, Hamadeh has also contested his election loss in court.

There are also two Democrats and one Independent in the race.