Former FBI Official Ousted Under Trump Runs for Congress in Maryland

David Sundberg, who led the Washington Field Office, is joining a crowded Democratic primary for Steny H. Hoyer's open House seat.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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David Sundberg, a former senior FBI official who was pushed out by the Trump administration in 2025, is expected to announce on Monday that he is running for Congress in Maryland's 5th District. Sundberg, who oversaw the FBI's Washington Field Office, says he is running to hold President Trump accountable and uphold the rule of law after witnessing what he describes as 'terrible abuses' against the American people.

Why it matters

Sundberg's candidacy adds to the growing number of former federal law enforcement officials who left government last year and are now running for office, promoting their clashes with the Trump administration and objections to its use of their former agencies for political purposes.

The details

Sundberg, 56, led the FBI's Washington Field Office from January 2023 until January 2025, when the Trump administration forced him and seven other senior leaders to resign. In the year since leaving the FBI, Sundberg has helped other law enforcement officials who were fired or left under pressure, connecting them with lawyers and services to protect their personal information due to 'increased levels of political violence'. Sundberg says he is running for Congress to uphold the oath he took at the beginning of his career and ensure no one is above the law, after witnessing 'terrible abuses' under the Trump administration.

  • In January 2023, Sundberg took over the Washington Field Office, putting him in charge of two FBI squads assisting the special counsel who twice indicted Trump.
  • In January 2025, the Trump administration forced Sundberg and seven other senior FBI leaders to resign.
  • Sundberg is expected to announce his congressional campaign on Monday, February 23, 2026.

The players

David Sundberg

A 56-year-old former senior FBI official who led the Washington Field Office from January 2023 until January 2025, when the Trump administration forced him to resign. Sundberg is now running for Congress in Maryland's 5th District as a Democrat.

Steny H. Hoyer

A longtime Democratic member of Congress who has represented Maryland's 5th District since 1981 and is now retiring, leaving the seat open.

Jack Smith

The special counsel who twice indicted former President Trump, with Sundberg's FBI squads assisting the investigations.

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What they’re saying

“I'm running to uphold the oath I took at the beginning of my career — an oath that didn't change when the Trump administration forced me out of the federal government. During that career, I worked to ensure that no one was above the law. And over the last year, we've seen some terrible abuses against the people of the United States.”

— David Sundberg (New York Times)

What’s next

Sundberg will face a crowded Democratic primary field for the open House seat in Maryland's solidly Democratic 5th District.

The takeaway

Sundberg's candidacy reflects a growing trend of former federal law enforcement officials running for office after clashing with the Trump administration, seeking to hold the former president accountable and protect the rule of law from political interference.