The man who became an infamous symbol of the January 6 Capitol riot after a photograph showed him grinning and carrying a stolen lectern from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office has now filed to run for public office in Florida.
From Capitol Rioter to Political Candidate
Adam Johnson, 41, widely known as 'The Lectern Guy', submitted paperwork to run as a Republican for an at-large county commission seat in Manatee County, just south of Tampa. He chose to file on Tuesday, the fifth anniversary of the January 6 riot, a move he described as 'definitely good for getting the buzz out there' in an interview with WWSB.
Following the events of January 6, 2021, Johnson was arrested and charged with entering or remaining in a restricted building. He later pleaded guilty and received a sentence of 75 days in prison, one year of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, and 200 hours of community service. Although former President Donald Trump pardoned all January 6 defendants on the first day of his theoretical second term, Johnson had already completed his sentence by that time.
Downplaying Actions and Launching a Campaign
During his sentencing, Johnson told US District Judge Reggie Walton that stealing the lectern was a 'very stupid idea'. However, he has since significantly minimised the severity of his actions. He now describes the incident simply as: 'I walked into a building, I took a picture with a piece of furniture and I left.' In his recent interview, he even equated his misdemeanour conviction to jaywalking, stating, 'I think I exercised my First Amendment right to speak and protest.'
His campaign website, which highlights that he is a father of five and a small business owner, states he is running because he is 'Tired of watching MAGA principles get ignored at the local level.' It promises to 'fix Manatee fast' and root out corruption. Johnson's specific local grievances include high property taxes and overdevelopment, accusing current county leaders of being wasteful.
His political ambitions are already intertwined with legal action against the county. In March, he filed a lawsuit against Manatee County and six of its commissioners regarding attorney's fees from a separate, dropped lawsuit. The county has dismissed Johnson's case as 'completely meritless and unsupported by law.'
A Growing Trend of January 6 Defendants in Politics
Johnson is not an isolated case. A number of individuals charged in connection with the January 6 riot have sought or are currently seeking elected office.
- In 2024, at least three January 6 defendants ran for Congress as Republicans, though all were unsuccessful.
- Jake Lang, who was charged with assaulting an officer and civil disorder before receiving a pardon, is currently running for a Florida Senate seat previously held by Marco Rubio.
- Perhaps the most visually recognisable figure, Jacob Chansley—the 'QAnon Shaman' photographed shirtless with bull horns and face paint in the Capitol—recently announced plans to run for Governor of Arizona as an independent against Democrat Katie Hobbs. Chansley also confirmed he has broken with Trump over the former president's reluctance to release the Epstein files.
In the race for the Manatee County commission seat, Johnson will face four other Republican candidates in the primary. The incumbent, Jason Bearden, is not seeking re-election.
