BRIGHTON — In the wake of a primary election that emphasized the rift between moderate, establishment Democrats and the party’s rising progressive wing, political organizer William Lawrence emerged victorious.
Now, the climate justice and affordable housing activist faces the task of consolidating support among fractured Democrats and winning over independent and conservative voters if he aims to flip one of the nation’s most competitive congressional districts.
Gathering at Brewery Becker in Brighton on Tuesday night, Lawrence gathered with supporters and new faces alike, opening up about the concerns he faced coming of age during the 9/11 era and the subsequent wars that followed. Lawrence also discussed his fears regarding the erosion of the basic democratic principles that define the nation.
From his teenage years to his work in politics Lawrence said there have been many times where he’s faced disillusionment, grief, anger doubt and despair, however the stories of people organizing in the face of adversity served as the balm for those frustrations, a key tenet of Lawrence’s march toward a seat in Congress.
“I learned those stories and that was what gave me my entire meaning and purpose in life because in the worst times where the worst people are in charge and they have way too much power, you will always find, you always find regular people banding together,” Lawrence said. “And I made a choice to be one of those people.”
He went on to emphasize his commitment to dialogue and engagement with residents of the district.
“I’m going to live in reality here with you,” Lawrence said. “I’m going to continue to learn in response to new events. I’m going to focus on building relationships every time, because there are no miracles in life or in politics. There’s no one button that we’re going to press to get us out of this. All it’s going to take is hard work, community, teamwork and that’s something that we can only do together.”
The seat Lawrence is seeking, the 7th Congressional District, is currently held by U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte). The district consists of Clinton, Shiawassee, Ingham, and Livingston counties, as well as portions of Eaton, Genesee and Oakland counties. A key swing seat, the 7th District was previously held by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly), who defeated Barrett in 2022 after her first congressional seat was redrawn.
Over the past three election cycles, more than 60% of straight party ticket voters in Livingston County voters have supported Republicans.
The non-partisan Cook Political Report has rated the district as a toss up, meaning either party has a good chance of winning.
During the event held Tuesday, Michigan Advance spoke with multiple voters who identified themselves as progressives and those who identified as independents, citing grievances with the Democratic Party, or frustrations with both major parties in general.
Here’s what each of them had to say about Lawrence and his campaign thus far.
James Custer, Brighton, 49
When asked what drew them to Lawrence, attendees pointed to the Democratic nominee’s people-centered approach to politics, his ethics and his focus on issues like lowering the cost of healthcare. That included Custer.
“If you look at a lot of the things that he is campaigning on, it’s done with the interests of the populace, right? With the people in mind, not for special interests, not for business,” Custer said. “So he’s there for the people, and that’s what we need more of.”
Terri Wilkerson, Pinckney, 65
Wilkerson, who identifies as an independent, told the Advance that, “Both parties seem to be more interested in protecting their party than serving the public.”
One of the things that drew Wilkerson to Lawrence’s campaign was his support for Medicare for All.
“I’m 65, and I just got onto Medicare, and I was really happy because I was paying $1,700 a month for health insurance with a $10,000 deductible, which means it’s not very much health care, and I have worked my entire life, and that’s been a constant concern,” Wilkerson. “So some people might label that as socialist, but we already have it in the form of Medicare, and I would like to see that extended to everybody because it would just take so much pressure off of us.”
Claire Donovan, Pinckney, 70
Donovan, who also identifies as an independent, said Lawrence “stands for his own issues.”
“He’s not necessarily following a party. He’s going for issues that I think apply to everybody in both parties. I want someone that’s going to represent everybody, not just a party,” Donovan said, pointing to Lawrence’s support for a 12-month moratorium on data centers, his opposition to the war in Iran and his focus on affordable healthcare as examples of politically purple issues he’s addressing in his campaign.
Darlene Domanik, former political candidate, 70
Domanik, who organized Tuesday’s meet and greet, previously ran as a progressive candidate for Congress in what was then Michigan’s 8th Congressional District of 2017, though she ultimately withdrew when the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee endorsed Elissa Slotkin and she could no longer finance her campaign.
During her bid for Congress, Domanik said she took a bipartisan approach, adding that the biggest contributions to her campaign came from Republicans.
“When we set this event up, I told them I’m inviting Republicans,” Domanik said, noting that some of the Republicans who had supported her had come from her faith community, and were people who had not been able to vote Republican since 2016.
While they started voting Democrat, they never let go of their identities as Republicans, Domanik said.
“I told Will, I’m going to invite those people because they need to know about you,” Domanik said. “They need to hear your value system, and the value system that Will has absolutely fits a faith-based value system: take care of the poor, the downtrodden, the immigrant, the people in prison.”
Domanik said she felt Lawrence’s platform is one that many people could find their value system in, and that he could draw support from individuals who may not vote for a Democrat or a progressive.
“In some respects, he’s more Republican than the Republicans,” Domanik said. “He wants our tax dollars to go directly to the taxpayer in taking care of the taxpayer infrastructure, medical, veterans, all of those things that we expect to cover, but the Republicans presently are spending it on everything but.”
Andrew Domanik, Brighton, 25
Andrew Domanik, Darlene Domanik’s great nephew, said he identified as a conservative heading into college and now identifies as a progressive, shared a similar perspective.
“You can be a conservative progressive,” Andrew Domanik said. “It is not non-conservative to care about the environment, want the weak and needy to be okay, or want your kids to be educated, but those three things are progressive now.”
READ MORE: Will Lawrence signs anti-data center pledge as US Rep. Tom Barrett rewrites his record
This coverage was republished from Michigan Advance pursuant to a Creative Commons license.
