Former head of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Sundberg enters the race to defend the rule of law and restore Congress’s role in our democracy

Annapolis, MD – Today, Dave Sundberg, the former Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office (WFO) who oversaw the Bureau’s January 6th investigation and the FBI employees assigned to the Trump Special Counsel investigations, announced his candidacy for Congress in Maryland’s Fifth District.

Sundberg enters the race after a 23-year distinguished career leading the nation’s most sensitive law enforcement operations. As the head of the FBI’s second-largest field office, Sundberg commanded nearly 1,600 employees and directed high-stakes federal investigations that were foundational to maintaining the rule of law. Under his leadership, the WFO led the sprawling investigation into the January 6th attack, which resulted in the arrests of more than 1,500 individuals who assaulted the U.S. Capitol, and provided the intelligence and manpower for Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into President Trump’s retention of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

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

Following the 2025 presidential inauguration, the Trump administration forced Sundberg out of the FBI as part of a retaliatory purge against those who refused to carry out the President’s political agenda.

“I was pushed out for doing my job and refusing to allow politics to compromise justice. But while they took my job, they didn’t take my oath,” Sundberg added. “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. We are reaching a point where we may not recover from this. I am running to ensure Congress becomes a co-equal branch of government again and does not abdicate its responsibility to push back.”

Prior to leading the WFO, Sundberg was a decorated tactical leader, serving as the Commander of the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team and as the Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Field Office. Sundberg’s journey of service began in the United States Air Force and then as a detective in the Dover Police Department in New Hampshire.

The son of an engineering professor and a local community leader, he was raised with a deep respect for community and the dignity of public service. He has passed along those lessons to his two children who he shares with his wife Nicole. Dave and Nicole live in North Beach, Maryland.