ANOTHER WAY IN

A Capitol Riot Suspect Is Running for Office in Texas

Mark Middleton was arrested in April on nine charges, including assaulting law enforcement officers.

A man charged with taking part in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot has filed to run for state office in Texas. Mark Middleton, who was arrested in April and posted bail, allegedly assaulted law enforcement officers during the attempted insurrection alongside his wife Jalisa. He faces nine federal criminal charges in all. He is running against current Texas House member Rep. David Spiller, a Republican who represents District 68 in the northern part of the state. Middleton’s campaign website calls for the Texas legislature to explore the possibility of the state’s secession, amping up security along the U.S.-Mexico border, and banning critical race theory. According to Middleton’s charging documents, he wrote on Facebook after the riot, “We are on the front lines. We helped push down the barriers. Jalise and I got pepper sprayed, clubbed, and tear gassed.”