Incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Barrett says he won’t underestimate progressive Sunrise Movement co-founder William Lawrence as they battle for Michigan’s pivotal 7th District.
“The two other candidates that ran just really didn’t take him seriously the entire time, we’re not going to make that same mistake,” Barrett told POLITICO after Lawrence secured the Democratic nomination. “We are not in any way going to be taking this for granted or taking it lightly.”
Lawrence won his primary Tuesday after the two more moderate candidates split the vote, teeing up a test of progressive potency in a district that went for President Donald Trump by just over 1 percentage point in 2024. The district could ultimately decide the majority.
Centrist Democrats have argued that Lawrence’s victory could jeopardize their chances of flipping the seat in November. And the progressive seems to be Republicans’ ideal pick to face off against: A GOP-linked super PAC spent money to elevate Lawrence during the primary.
Lawrence, in an interview, dismissed concerns about his electability.
“We have a broad based movement that is winning with significant margins across the district. We’re winning in Livingston County. We’re winning in Eden County, and, you know, this is so far beyond the city of Lansing,” he said. “And I feel confident that we’ll continue that into the general election.”
Andrew Howard contributed reporting.
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