MICHIGAN—”I’m an open book.”
That’s the latest pitch from Will Lawrence, the Democrat running to unseat US Rep. Tom Barrett in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. This month, Lawrence will hold eight unscripted town halls across Mid-Michigan, taking any question voters want to ask him before Election Day.
Starting Tuesday, Oct. 13, Lawrence will stop in St. Johns, Lansing, Grand Ledge, Owosso, Williamston, Brighton, and South Lyon—covering six of the district’s seven counties in six days.
“People are gonna be seeing a lot of attack ads, misinformation, mudslinging, and fear-mongering on the airwaves,” Lawrence said at a press conference this week. “But I’m an open book, and I’m happy to answer for my record directly to the voters.”
Lawrence vs. Barrett
Lawrence also released his “Michigan First Constituent Services Plan” this week, which sets out five specific commitments he says he’ll keep if elected to Congress: quarterly in-person town halls; in-person, mobile, and virtual office hours; faster response times; a dedicated staffer for both veterans and seniors; and closer partnerships with Mid-Michigan community organizations.
“I want you to hold me to it, because the job of the representative is to represent and serve, and I expect nothing less from myself,” Lawrence told reporters at Wednesday’s press conference.
The plan marks a pointed contrast with Barrett, who hasn’t held an in-person town hall since taking office in January 2025. Instead, Barrett has only hosted interactive town halls by phone and online, which his office says have still reached more than 34,000 constituents.
Barrett’s approach has drawn pushback in Greater Lansing.
Last year, organizers delivered more than 1,800 petition signatures to Barrett’s Lansing office calling for an in-person town hall. That came after his first telephone town hall, when several residents told local reporters they never received the number to call in. A month later, Barrett’s seat sat empty for two hours at a town hall organized by the AFL-CIO and NAACP in Lansing.
Lawrence said Barrett “has spent the last two years in hiding from his own constituents.”
“I believe I’ve met with more of his constituents at his office than he has,” he added.
The race for the 7th Congressional District is among the most closely watched in the country. Barrett won the seat in 2024 by less than four points. Analysts call the district a pure toss-up.
Where to see Lawrence
All of Lawrence’s town halls are free and open to the public. RSVP at wewill2026.com.
- Oct. 13: 6 p.m. at the UAW Hall in St. Johns
- Oct. 14: 1 p.m. at the UAW 602 Hall in Lansing
- Oct. 14: 5:30 p.m. at Sanctuary Spirits in Grand Ledge
- Oct. 14: 7 p.m. at Sycamore Creek Church in Lansing
- Oct. 15: 6 p.m. at Bennington Township Hall in Owosso
- Oct. 17: 5:30 p.m. at Williamston Middle School in Williamston
- Oct. 18: 2 p.m. at the RE/MAX Auditorium in Brighton
- Oct. 18: 4 p.m. in South Lyon (address provided with RSVP)
Absentee voting is underway. Early voting opens statewide on Oct. 24. Election Day is Nov. 3.
READ MORE: Lawrence vows to end the war as Tom Barrett runs from his record
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