Bernie Sanders-backed William Lawrence wins Democratic primary in key Michigan swing district
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 ...