The Capitol rioters that are running for Congress

More than a year and a half after a mob of pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol, some people who were there that day, are seeking to join the very institution that found itself under attack on January 6, 2021.

According to the New York Times, three people who were present at the Capitol on Jan. 6 are running for Congress in the upcoming November midterm elections.

However, none of the candidates have been charged with entering the Capitol during the attack or any other crime related to the insurrection.

Sandy Smith, a self-described "military mom" and business owner is running in North Carolina's 1st Congressional district.

Image: Twitter @SandySmithNC

Smith tweeted two pictures on January 6 of the crowd marching toward the Capitol, captioning the photos: "In DC fighting for Trump! Just marched from the Monument to the Capitol!"

Image: Twitter @SandySmithNC

A political action committee associated with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy initially tried to hinder Smith's congressional chances, the NYT reported, by funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars into negative ads against her.

But when Smith achieved victory in her primary, the National Republican Congressional Committee threw its support behind her, adding her to McCarthy's "Young Guns" program, which aids newer candidates in their competitive races.

Although the North Carolina district in which she runs tends to tilt slightly Republican, Smith's extremist views, have political forecasters predicting that Democrats may take the edge in the race.

Image: Twitter @SandySmithNC

However, the other two candidates have a good chance of winning their particular races, according to the NYT.

JR Majewski (pictured in the middle), an Air Force veteran who was at the Capitol with a QAnon live-streamer, has received some firsthand help from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in his Ohio race.

Majewski maintains that he did not break any laws on January 6, 2021, and tweeted that he was "cleared by the FBI."

Image: Twitter @JRMajewski

McCarthy campaigned for Majewski last month, where he attempted to downplay and distance the candidate from the January 6-related attacks, according to the NYT.

Another candidate whom the GOP threw their support behind is Derrick Van Orden, a retired Navy SEAL running for an open seat in Wisconsin.

All three top House Republicans, as well as former President Donald Trump, have given Van Orden their approval.

In a local newspaper, Van Orden explained his presence in DC on January 6, 2021, saying he was in Washington for "meetings and to stand for the integrity of our electoral system as a citizen."

Van Orden also said that he left the area as soon as he observed the protest descending into a riot.

But for both Van Orden and Majewski, Capitol riot ties are unlikely to hurt their electoral chances, according to the NYT.

Van Orden seems to be the favored candidate in his race, while Majewski's race is widely regarded as a toss-up.

The news comes one year after at least 10 people who were at the Capitol on January 6 won their respective and varied political races in November 2021.

Of the 10 rally attendees elected in November 2021, three were sent to state legislatures, while the other seven won positions at the local level.

Image: Clay Banks/Unsplash

Experts said then, the election results were hardly surprising, as right-wing violence in the US has been on the rise in recent years and extremist groups gained unprecedented recognition during the Trump administration.

Matthew Schmidt, a politics professor told Insider that the Republican Party has recently centered itself around a very specific identity: the white American male who believes his rights are being systematically destroyed by a government supporting social change.

"You will see more of these kinds of candidates for the foreseeable future until the inevitable social changes that these politicians and their constituents are afraid of, become overwhelming and change," Schmidt predicted in November 2021.