Capitol Rioter Announces Congressional Run on Jan. 6: 'Day to Celebrate'

House Democrats are planning a "short and solemn" ceremony on the Hill to commemorate the anniversary of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, but one West Virginia Republican says it should be a "day to celebrate."

To do so, Derrick Evans, a former West Virginia state delegate who served three months in prison for his role in the Capitol attack, announced his official candidacy for Congress on Friday.

"Today, I am officially announcing my campaign for the United States House of Representatives," Evans wrote on Twitter. "I was previously held captive as a #J6 #PoliticalPrisoner. I'm proud to be America First & I will stand with the Freedom Caucus."

Friday marks the second anniversary of the insurrection, during which supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Five people died as a result of the attack.

On January 6, 2021, Evans—who was serving as a delegate of Wayne County at the time—livestreamed himself storming the building while shouting, "Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!" Three days later, he resigned from his seat. After pleading guilty to one count of civil disorder last March, Evans served three months at a federal prison in Michigan.

"Two years ago today, I boarded a passenger bus to Washington D.C.," Evans said Friday in a video posed to Twitter. "The goal in mind was to protect our constitutional republic from the 2020 stolen election. If you told me what what happened next, I never would have believed you."

Evans then details his experience at the Capitol that day, saying he walked through "an open set of doors," received a "fist bump" from a Capitol police officer, and never got close to the chaos by the Senate chambers in his 10 minutes in the building.

"The moments that followed changed my life forever. So, what does that mean for 2024?" he asked in the video. "It's time to hit the campaign trail. It's time to listen to the God-fearing conservatives in West Virginia. It's past time to put America first. And from there, we're going to work every single day to make America great again."

Evans is running to challenge incumbent Representative Carol Miller, who won reelection in November, in the 2024 Republican primaries for West Virginia's 1st District.

"Quite frankly, [Miller] does not represent the America First agenda, which has left me with no other option, but to give the people of West Virginia a true conservative choice on the ballot," Evans said of his opponent.

In response to his announcement, a spokesperson for Miller told Newsweek on Friday, "Americans voted for a change and Congresswoman Miller is ready to implement a conservative agenda and bring West Virginia values to Washington D.C. after two years of Democrats' one-party rule."

"Her focus is serving her constituents and she is committed to delivering conservative, pragmatic results for West Virginia for many years to come," the spokesperson said.

A historic investigation of the Capitol riot by the FBI and Justice Department has led to the arrests of more than 900 individuals and nearly 500 guilty pleas. However, authorities say there are over 3,000 people who could be charged for their involvement in the attack.

Among the most high-profile prosecutions are a 10-year prison sentence for a retired New York City police officer who assaulted a cop that day, the arrest of a Republican candidate for governor in Michigan, and the successful convictions against members of the far-right extremist group, the Oath Keepers.

Update 01/06/23 1:29 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Miller.