Progressive Working Families Party boosts McKinney, Lawrence and Tlaib in congressional bids

A group that helped elect progressive candidates to the Detroit City Council last year is now lending its endorsement to two Democratic primary hopefuls in must-watch 2026 Michigan congressional races.

On Friday, the Working Families Party said it was endorsing state Rep. Donovan McKinney (D-Detroit), who is in a primary battle in the 13th Congressional District against incumbent U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit), and William Lawrence, one of several candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in the 7th Congressional District race, the winner of which will face U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte) in the November election.

The group is committed to helping candidates with significant organizing efforts; the party and its partners plan to knock doors, engage voters face-to-face, and communicate directly with communities throughout districts they’ve endorsed in, and by proxy seek to build the type of grassroots infrastructure organizers say is needed to win on Election Day, but to also govern effectively afterward.

“Working Families Party is building a cohort of working class champions across the state who will be champions for working people, not the wealthy and well-connected,” said Branden Snyder, the Michigan state director of the Working Families Party, in a statement. “Being a Working Families Party candidate isn’t just a slogan — it’s an identity and tells voters that these candidates aren’t in the race for power or to carry water for the status quo. They’re about fighting to unrig the system for working folks.”

Working Families Party also said it was endorsing U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) in her bid for reelection to the 12th Congressional District.

For McKinney’s challenge against Thanedar, the race is being watched closely because the incumbent has faced sharp criticism for being a multi-millionaire business owner out of touch with his constituents, as he represents one of the lowest-income districts nationwide. His staunch support for Israel in it’s war against Hamas in Gaza, labeled a genocide by organizations such as the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry and Amnesty International, has only added to controversies surrounding Thanedar.

In a news release announcing the endorsements, Working Families Party said the group shared some of those concerns regarding Thanedar.

“I am honored to have the endorsement of the Working Families Party. Our campaign has always been by the people, for the people, and we are so proud to have WFP join our movement,” McKinney said in a statement. “Together we will fight to get corporate money out of our politics and return the power to where it belongs: with the people.”

Lawrence is one of the more progressive candidates in the Democratic 7th Congressional District primary hunt. He faces activist Elyon Badger, Bridget Brink, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, and Matt Maasdam, a former Navy SEAL. The race is seen as a major opportunity for the Democratic Party to flip the seat away from Republicans in November, and Barrett is one of the party’s biggest targets.

“I’ve been a proud dues-paying member of the Working Families Party for years, and now I’m honored to earn the party’s endorsement,” Lawrence said in a statement. “Across the nation, WFP candidates are winning elections by fighting for the many, not the billionaire few. Now more than ever, we need elected officials who put people and the planet over corporate profits.”

Tlaib’s race is far less exciting in 2026. She does face three primary challengers, one of which is Shanelle Jackson, a former Michigan state representative, but Tlaib remains popular in her district and in a solidly Democratic seat. At present, there is no Republican challenger for the district in the November general election.

Still, Tlaib said she was honored to receive the endorsement of the Working Families Party.

“Since I entered office in 2019, WFP has championed numerous efforts to make our government work for everyday people rather than for corporations and billionaires,” Tlaib said in a statement. “In this affordability crisis, I will continue advocating alongside WFP to elevate the working-class voices of the Tenacious 12th, fighting for the promise of freedom, equality, and dignity for all.”