Self-described socialist candidate William Lawrence won the Democratic nomination in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, defeating two more moderate rivals in one of the state’s most closely watched House primaries.
The Bernie Sanders-endorsed activist and Sunrise Movement co-founder beat former US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam, according to the Associated Press, which called the race at 11:23 p.m. EDT.
Lawrence, a progressive activist, led the three-way contest with 43% of the vote, followed by Brink at 29% and Maasdam at 28% with more than half of the vote counted.
Lawrence campaigned as an outsider, telling voters he is “independent of DC insiders and unbought by corporate money.” His platform focuses on lowering the cost of living, protecting Michigan’s water and farmland, opposing what he calls “endless war,” and “restoring the rule of law.”
He’s also expressed support for “Medicare for all,” cutting off arms sales to Israel and implementing a federal moratorium on new AI data centers.
“People will call me a socialist,” Lawrence said at a campaign event in Lansing last month. “Sometimes I call me, call myself, a socialist, other times not.”
“Sometimes I call myself a progressive, a conservative, a law-and-order candidate, and I think I am all the above, but just that I believe that unchecked capitalism is killing people, and we all know the feeling of being squeezed on every paycheck or on every single bill.”
Aside from Sanders, Lawrence counts endorsements from Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo, Democratic socialist congressional candidates Melat Kiros (Colorado) and Chris Rabb (Pennsylvania), New York’s Democratic nominee for the 10th District Brad Lander and anti-Israel “Squad” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)
His victory marks a leftward shift for Democrats in a district that has often favored more centrist candidates, and is expected to be among the most competitive House races this fall.
In 2024, President Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris in the district by 1 percentage point. Former President Joe Biden topped Trump in the district by the same margin in the 2020 contest.
Lawrence will now face GOP incumbent Tom Barrett, who won the district in 2024 by 3.7 percentage points during his first successful congressional campaign.
A Data for Progress poll sponsored by Lawrence’s campaign and conducted from June 24-30 showed the Democrat holding a narrow two-point lead over Barrett ahead of the general election.
The district is considered a “toss up” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
The two candidates are scheduled to face off on Nov. 3 in a test of whether a progressive Democrat can take control of one of Michigan’s top swing districts.
The contest is considered a key race in determining which party will control the House next year.
