A Florida man convicted for his actions during the January 6 US Capitol riot, and later pardoned by former President Donald Trump, has launched a bid for local political office.
From Capitol riot to campaign trail
Adam Johnson officially filed paperwork to run as a Republican for an at-large seat on the Manatee County Commission on Tuesday, 6 January 2026. The date marked the fifth anniversary of the 2021 attack on the Capitol, an event in which Johnson played a memorable role.
During the riot, Johnson was photographed smiling and waving as he carried away the lectern belonging to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He later placed it in the Capitol Rotunda, posed for pictures, and pretended to make a speech. In a 2021 guilty plea, he admitted to entering and remaining in a restricted building, a misdemeanour he has since compared to "jaywalking".
Johnson served 75 days in prison and was under supervised release for a year. He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and complete 200 hours of community service. In January 2025, he was among those granted a pardon by Donald Trump.
A calculated campaign launch
Johnson confirmed to local media that it was "not a coincidence" he chose the 6 January anniversary to file his candidacy, stating, "It's definitely good for getting the buzz out there." His campaign strategy leans directly into his notoriety; his official campaign logo is an outline of the viral photograph of him carrying Pelosi's lectern.
He is not the first figure linked to the January 6 events to seek elected office. At least three others ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2024 as Republicans. The trend appears to be growing, with other pardoned defendants following suit. For instance, Jake Lang, pardoned on charges including assaulting an officer, recently announced a run for Marco Rubio's Senate seat in Florida.
Platform and pending lawsuit
On the policy front, Johnson cites high property taxes and overdevelopment in the county south of Tampa as key issues, criticising current leaders for being wasteful. However, his candidacy is shadowed by ongoing legal action. In March 2025, he filed a lawsuit against Manatee County and six of its commissioners over a procedural matter related to attorney's fees. The county has dismissed his claims as "completely meritless and unsupported by law".
Four other Republicans have filed to run in the 18 August primary for the deeply Republican county. The incumbent is not seeking re-election. Johnson acknowledges the intense scrutiny he will face, framing it as a positive for voters. "I will be more heavily scrutinised than any other candidate who is running in this race," he said. "This is a positive... for every single citizen, because for once in our life, we will know our local politicians who are doing things."
Reflecting on his actions, Johnson told the sentencing judge in 2021 that posing with the lectern was a "very stupid idea". Now, he says his only regret is the prison sentence itself, minimising the event by stating, "I walked into a building, I took a picture with a piece of furniture and I left."
