Progressive Sunrise Movement co-founder William Lawrence won the Democratic primary to take on GOP Rep. Tom Barrett in a battleground Michigan House race.
His general election campaign will be one of the biggest tests for whether progressives can win in purple territory: President Donald Trump won the Lansing-based district by just one percentage point in 2024.
In Lawrence, Republicans got their preferred opponent in November. A GOP-linked group spent heavily on last-minute ads to elevate his candidacy, as Republicans continue to prefer further-left candidates that they can cast as out of touch with the mainstream.
Lawrence spent much of the primary attacking data center development, and he was bolstered by endorsements from progressive stalwarts including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).
Lawrence’s victory in Michigan’s 7th District — which could be key to deciding the House majority — was boosted by the fact his two more-moderate challengers split the vote.
Former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam and former Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink both had warned that Lawrence becoming the Democratic nominee will make it harder for the party to flip the crucial seat in November, pointing to the Republican-linked group that sought to elevate Lawrence. But Democratic voters ignored those warnings to choose Lawrence.
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