William Lawrence

William Lawrence was raised in the Lansing area, including East Lansing, and lives in Lansing, according to a Michigan Public candidate interview in which he said he has spent most of his life in Michigan's 7th District. Ballotpedia describes him as an organizer and co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, a co-founder of the Michigan Rent Is Too Damn High Coalition and a co-founder of the Mid-Michigan Tenant Resource Center. In the August 4, 2026 Democratic primary for the 7th District he defeated Bridget Brink, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, and Matt Maasdam, a former Navy SEAL; the Associated Press called the race at 11:23 p.m. that night, per Michigan Public. His primary campaign focused on regulating data centers and declining corporate PAC money. He faces Republican Tom Barrett, who was first elected to the seat in 2024, in the November 3, 2026 general election.