Three Jan. 6 Protesters Are Running for Congress: Here Are Their Chances

At least three Republican congressional candidates who were at the Stop the Steal rally on January 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C., could be working full time at the U.S. Capitol after the midterm elections.

Derrick Van Orden, J.R. Majewski and Sandy Smith are in tight races in Wisconsin, Ohio and North Carolina, respectively. Each has a different explanation regarding their presence outside the Capitol on the day of the riot, and none have been charged.

Website 270toWin, which takes into account forecasts like FiveThirtyEight, Sabato's Crystal Ball, Inside Elections and the Cook Political Report, show Van Orden flipping the Democratic seat red.

The same forecasts describe Majewski's Ohio race as a toss-up but project the decades-long incumbent, Democrat Nancy Kaptur, to retain her seat.

Smith's race is not viewed as a realistic opportunity for victory by any forecast.

'This Doesn't Come Up'

Van Orden, a retired Navy SEAL, has more than 20 years of service and five combat deployments under his belt.

He ran in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District in 2020, losing to Democrat Ron Kind by less than three points. Kind is retiring from Congress.

This time, Van Orden is running against Democratic state Senator Brad Pfaff, who won his party's primary with about 39 percent of the vote.

In an op-ed in the La Crosse Tribune, Van Orden said his presence in Washington was due to "meetings and to stand for the integrity of our electoral system as a citizen." He "watched what should have been an expression of free speech devolve into one of the most tragic incidents in the history of our nation.

"When it became clear that a protest had become a mob, I left the area, as to remain there could be construed as tacitly approving this unlawful conduct. At no time did I enter the grounds, let alone the building."

Van Orden has previously said that his name was placed on a GOP election fraud lawsuit without permission.

Pfaff's campaign has called out Van Orden for his presence outside the Capitol on January 6, syncing messaging with the ninth and most recent January 6 Committee hearing.

In one press release, the campaign referred to Van Orden as an "insurrectionist" who attacked the Capitol. A campaign video features a Wisconsin Army National Guard veteran and U.S. Marine Corps veteran calling Van Orden's presence there "the ultimate betrayal."

"Derrick Van Orden is no patriot; he's an insurrectionist who is terrified of voters learning about his disqualifying track record," Pfaff's campaign manager, Andrew Whitley, said in a statement. "Unlike Derrick, Brad Pfaff was born and raised in this district and has homegrown values that inform his public service. He'll protect our democracy, not try to overthrow free and fair elections."

During a campaign stop at a local golf course, Van Orden received numerous questions from local media about his role on January 6. He responded by saying he has traveled 160,000 miles across Wisconsin to listen to the real issues.

"This doesn't come up," Van Orden said of the January 6 hearings, according to the Leader-Telegram. "What comes up is the highest inflation in years. What I hear from people is they are worried about making rent and paying their propane bills. That's what people care about."

Pfaff has called threats to democracy "the No. 1 issue...the underlying issue of this race," according to the Associated Press.

"January 6 opened up the window into his soul," Pfaff said. "And what we saw there, is we saw something that is unfortunately very dark."

But voters like Rosemary Hermanson, a 60-year-old independent from Black River Falls, are focusing on what affects their daily lives.

"[Van Orden] shouldn't have been there," Hermanson told AP. "Don't get me wrong. I'm just worried about feeding myself and making sure I've got gas to get to my cancer treatments."

Newsweek reached out to Van Orden for comment.

'Heartbroken' by the Events of January 6

Air Force veteran J.R. Majewski, a self-described "common-sense conservative" and believer in the Constitution, has admitted his involvement in the Stop the Steal rally.

Majewski told WTOL that what unfolded on January 6 left him "heartbroken."

While he was in town alongside husbands, wives and grandparents after raising $25,000 in donations, his Democratic opponent, Representative Nancy Kaptur was inside Congress attempting to certify Joe Biden as the nation's next president.

"When everything started to happen ... we all left," Majewski told WTOL 11. "I was responsible for 60-70 people at the Capitol. I had multiple people get injured but I made sure they made it back to our hotel. It was a terrible experience, It was one that was supposed to be great."

Kaptur, who has represented Ohio's 9th Congressional District since 1983, is running on issues like jobs, the economy and infrastructure.

Her campaign has accused Majewski of breaking police barricades on January 6, a claim vehemently denied by Majewski.

"For those of you who want to call me an insurrectionist, be prepared to defend yourself in a court of law," Majewski said in response, retweeting Kaptur's original claim. "This is the last time I will say that I committed no crimes and was cleared by the FBI. I broke no police barriers."

A Majewski campaign ad said he would "do whatever it takes" to stop Democrats and "return this country back to its former glory."

Newsweek reached out to Majewski for comment.

'I Still Stand With President Trump'

Sandy Smith, who won her GOP primary by less than 5 points, is facing Democrat Donald Davis for a seat in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District.

Smith was endorsed by former President Donald Trump about a month ago. Her campaign website alludes to Trump multiple times and features her wearing a Make America Great Again hat.

In December 2020, Smith tweeted that "perpetrators of this [election] fraud" should be arrested and that she wants to see "trails [sic] and executions of those found guilty of treason."

She also said she wanted to see Trump re-elected, and Dominion voting machines "impounded and eradicated."

On January 6, 2021, she posted a video outside the Capitol and captioned it by saying she was "with fellow Patriots to support President Trump."

"I still stand with President Trump and believe he won this election!" she added.

The "unapologetic America first, Pro-Life, Pro-Guns, Pro-Military, freedom loving, Pro-Trump fighter" Smith has been endorsed by notable Republicans—some of whom have denied or cast doubt on the 2020 election—including Representative Paul Gosar, Representative Elise Stefanik's E-PAC, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, General Michael Flynn, Roger Stone and former Trump legal adviser Jenna Ellis.

"Sandy Smith is the only candidate who has pushed for a forensic audit of the 2020 election," Stone said, according to Smith's website.

Smith has a large war chest and has outspent her opponent, though election analysts including the Cook Political Report and Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball have called the seat "lean Democrat."

Newsweek reached out to Smith, the RNC and the National Republican Congressional Committee for comment.