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<\/a><\/p>\nMichigan progressive Democratic Congressional candidate William Lawrence in a campaign ad focusing on data centers, June 30, 2026. Lawrence won his primary on Aug. 4, 2026. (Screenshot via X)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
William Lawrence, a co-founder of the climate advocacy group Sunrise Movement, took the Democratic nomination in the state\u2019s 7th District, with the Associated Press calling the race for him Tuesday night. Lawrence had 43.7% of the vote with 92% of votes counted on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
His opponents Bridget Brink, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, and former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam, two centrist candidates who boasted military and foreign policy backgrounds, effectively split the establishment vote and opened a lane for the progressive. <\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t be prouder of the movement we\u2019ve built in mid-Michigan,\u201d Lawrence wrote on social media after the race was called. \u201cWe\u2019re building a movement made up of real Michiganders across political divides, not DC consultants.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the time the AP called the race for Lawrence, another House candidate backed by El-Sayed, state Rep. Donavan McKinney, was awaiting results in his challenge to the incumbent in Michigan\u2019s 13th District.<\/p>\n
As with several other victorious Democratic House candidates this primary cycle, Lawrence made pro-Palestinian advocacy a central plank of his campaign. He was the only Democrat in his race to accuse Israel of genocide, and at his rally with El-Sayed in Lansing, the candidate had called for America to \u201cstop arming Israel.\u201d <\/p>\n
Lawrence, whose campaign also tapped into growing public anger over data centers, will face Republican incumbent Rep. Tom Barrett in November. <\/p>\n
Lawrence\u2019s victory marked one area where party leadership will be pressured to support pro-Palestinian progressives if it hopes to retake Congress in November. Democrats have eyed the district, which was held by centrist Jewish Democrat Sen. Elissa Slotkin before Barrett, as a top target for flipping. Slotkin had endorsed Maasdam in the race\u2019s homestretch while staying out of the Senate race.<\/p>\n
It won\u2019t be easy to line the party up behind Lawrence. He had been condemned by the Congressional Black Caucus during his campaign over resurfaced podcast comments in which he said Black Democratic leaders \u201cdefang the white left\u201d \u2014 comments he later explained as having been prompted by his anger over Israel\u2019s war in Gaza. Centrist House Democrats have questioned his ability to win in November.<\/p>\n
But his campaign told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in a statement ahead of primary day that they were confident his focus on \u201cending military support to human rights abusers and bringing that money home to fund good jobs, housing, and healthcare here at home\u201d would play well across party lines.<\/p>\n