Will Lawrence emerges as victor in MI-7 Democratic Primary

At the end of a contentious three-person race, Lansing-area political organizer William Lawrence has won the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District.

The Associated Press called the race for Lawrence at 11:23 p.m., with Lawrence receiving 43.2% of the vote with 55% of votes counted.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink received 29.2% while retired Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam received 27.6%

Lawrence is now slated to face the incumbent, U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte), in the November general election.

“This is all of our win,” Lawrence told his supporters after the AP called the race. “But I want to make one thing very clear at the beginning: job’s not finished. Job’s not finished. Zero votes have been cast in the general election, and we need to take that zero-zero mentality into the next week and the next three months because the mission is to beat Barrett and send an unbought independent-minded representative to Washington D.C.”

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel released a statement congratulating Lawrence on the win.

“Will has spent his career in the fight for working people, and he’s not stopping now — he’s taking that fight to Congress,” Hertel said. “Tom Barrett has spent his time in Washington helping Donald Trump jack up costs and gut the programs Michigan families rely on. Will has a bold plan to fix it. This is a clear choice for the voters of Michigan’s 7th District, and Michigan Democrats can’t wait to send Tom Barrett packing this November.”

Michigan’s 7th Congressional District is made up of Clinton, Ingham, Livingston and Shiawassee counties, most of Eaton County and parts of Genesee and Oakland counties. It’s considered a key swing seat, with the nonpartisan Cook Political report rating it as a “toss-up” heading toward November.

The primary contest also showcased the split between the Democratic Party’s more progressive wing, with Lawrence, who was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt. ), defeating his moderate Democratic opponents. Maasdam had the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who held the U.S. House seat before being elected to the Senate in 2024.

Slotkin’s endorsement, which came as Maasdam was running third in polling, represented a break from many party officials, including former Govs. Jennifer Granholm and Jim Blanchard, and some major labor unions, such as the Michigan Education Association, who had endorsed Brink.

In his bid to appeal to voters across political divides, Lawrence campaigned on concerns tied to hyperscale data centers, calling for a 12-month federal moratorium on the construction of new facilities.

During Lawrence’s election watch party, his supporters chanted “data centers lost.”

On Saturday, the three candidates are scheduled to gather for a unity rally hosted by the 7th Congressional District Democratic Committee, honoring Brink, Maasdam and Lawrence’s pledge to back the winner no matter who prevailed in the primary. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel will introduce the winner.

Lawrence thanked his opponents for their careers of service, specifically thanking Brink for her focus on healthcare and decision to resign from President Donald Trump’s administration in protest of its foreign policy approach toward Ukraine. He thanked Maasdam for his righteous anger against the unconstitutional abuses committed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents. 

“Iron sharpens iron and Bridget and Matt’s work has made our movement stronger,” Lawrence said.