Progressive beats GOP Rep. Tom Barrett in key Michigan district

Key points

• Progressive William Lawrence defeated one-term Republican Rep. Tom Barrett in Michigan's 7th Congressional District, CBS News projected.
• Barrett was among the first House Republicans to back war powers resolutions on Iran and had Trump's endorsement.
• Lawrence, a Sunrise Movement co-founder, focused his campaign on the cost of living and opposing data centers.

Progressive William Lawrence has beaten one-term Republican Rep. Tom Barrett in Michigan's 7th Congressional District, CBS News projected. The race was one of the most closely watched in the country.

Barrett first won the Lansing-area seat in 2024, flipping it red. He was among the first House Republicans to break with President Trump and vote for war powers resolutions to end the war with Iran without congressional approval, though he campaigned with Trump this summer and had his endorsement.

How Lawrence won the primary

Lawrence, a climate activist who co-founded the Sunrise Movement and is a former member of the Democratic Socialists of America, defeated two moderate candidates who split the vote in the Democratic primary. He said he let his DSA membership lapse before the primary to "make clear" to voters in his district that he would represent them.

Lawrence centered his campaign on the cost of living and opposing data centers. Barrett also campaigned on data center regulations but did not call for a federal moratorium, saying the decision should be made at the local level.

Hurry up and die so that we can get started.

— William Lawrence, in a deleted December 2021 social media post

Scrutiny of past posts

After the primary, Lawrence's old social media posts came under scrutiny, including a deleted December 2021 post directed at former Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin that was reported by CNN. Lawrence distanced himself from past posts, including one calling to defund the police, saying they no longer aligned with his current beliefs.