Miami
Democrats add Will Lawrence to key House list, reviving party tensions in Michigan
The House Democratic campaign arm placed the Michigan candidate in its program for competitive districts. The move followed scrutiny over an old arrest, deleted social media posts and criticism from within the party.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Michigan candidate Will Lawrence this week to its Red to Blue program, which targets Republican-held House seats as Democrats try to win back the chamber in the midterms.
Lawrence is running against Republican Rep. Tom Barrett in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, a Lansing-based seat that Fox News Politics said Donald Trump carried by one point in the 2024 presidential election. The outlet also reported that Lawrence won last month’s Democratic primary over two establishment-backed rivals.
His addition came more than a month after that primary victory. Fox News Politics reported that some progressives had grown frustrated with the delay. Citing CNN, the outlet said the DCCC waited in part out of deference to leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus as criticism continued over Lawrence’s past remarks about Black politicians.
According to Fox News Politics, the Congressional Black Caucus has not endorsed him. The outlet said Lawrence apologized for comments made on a 2024 podcast in which he criticized Black political leaders and tied them to the American establishment.
Fox News Politics also revisited Lawrence’s 2013 arrest during a protest. Based on documents obtained by the outlet, he was charged with trespassing and with resisting and obstructing an officer. Lawrence has said the conviction was later expunged.
The same report said Lawrence deleted hundreds of old social media posts containing controversial positions, including support for abolishing police and prisons, opening borders and eliminating the Senate. Fox News Politics added that Lawrence, a co-founder of the progressive Sunrise Movement and a former member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has since backed away from several of those views.
In earlier comments cited by Fox News Politics, Lawrence said he does not support defunding the police and that he follows the lead of first responders and gun-violence prevention advocates who favor increased funding for youth programs, mental health resources and community violence intervention alongside law enforcement. CNN, as cited by Fox News Politics, also reported that Lawrence described some of his past online comments as the kind of thinking out loud many millennials have done on the internet.
The DCCC decision drew renewed criticism from centrist Democrats and Republicans. Fox News Politics quoted Third Way’s Matt Bennett as saying the move could worsen internal tensions if Lawrence has not repaired his relationship with the Congressional Black Caucus. Republican House campaign officials also attacked the decision and resurfaced his previous statements.
When announcing the latest expansion of the program, DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene included Lawrence among the candidates added to a target list that now covers 40 races. Lawrence later wrote on X that the move showed the Michigan race is one of the most competitive in the country and called it a sign of confidence in his campaign.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
