Will Lawrence takes progressive campaign to conservative Livingston County to court independents

William Lawrence, the Democratic nominee for Michigan's 7th Congressional District, is trying to unite a party split between its progressive and establishment wings while also courting independent and conservative voters in a district Republicans have carried by wide margins in straight-ticket voting. He held a meet-and-greet in Brighton, in conservative Livingston County, where he spoke about growing up during the 9/11 era and emphasized listening and relationship-building over any single policy fix.

The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Tom Barrett and is rated a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report; it was previously won by now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin. Attendees who identified as independents cited support for Medicare for All, a moratorium on data centers, and opposition to the Iran war as reasons for backing Lawrence, framing him as someone who transcends party lines rather than serving one.

The event's organizer, a past progressive congressional candidate herself, said she deliberately invited Republicans, including some from her faith community who have voted Democrat since 2016 without shedding their Republican identity. Whether that coalition holds in a county that has favored Republicans in three straight cycles remains, like the district itself, a toss-up.

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