Will Lawrence declares win in one of nation’s most-watched U.S House races
U.S. House candidate William Lawrence is planning a noon news conference to discuss flipping Michigan’s 7th district, which is held by U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett.
While final tallies have not been called, Lawrence maintains a lead and his campaign declared a victory in the early hours.
Barrett, an Army veteran and helicopter pilot, ran a tricky final few months as he worked to separate himself from the increasingly unpopular Iran War and show independence from the Trump administration but simultaneously showed off his close ties by bringing more than half of the Trump cabinet to his district, as well as close administration allies like Speaker Mike Johnson, in the six months before the elections.
In a statement, Lawrence’s campaign said, “As of Election Day morning, no candidate faced more Republican ad spending than Lawrence. Republican groups spent $23.3 million in general election advertising in Michigan’s 7th district, close to $1 million more than the next closest district (NY-17). Overall, Democrats were outspent by several million dollars in MI-07’s general election.
Lawrence, who has never held elected office, is a community organizer who grew up in East Lansing and co-founded the nationally-known Sunrise Movement and the Mid-Michigan Tenant Resource Center.
His campaign focused on prices, data centers and corporate political funding, drawing progressive backing. He won the Democratic primary against well-funded and casting-call-ready candidates Ukraine Ambassador Bridget Brink and retired Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam.
Supporters of Michigan’s 7th Congressional incumbent Rep. Tom Barrett gathered in the conference room of the Crowne Plaza hotel in Lansing. NBC’s live election broadcast was projected on three screens across the room, courtesy of a YouTube Premium subscription.
Throughout the night, the crowd cheered when the live vote count, consistently showing Barrett in the lead, flashed across the screen.
Barrett was absent at the beginning of the event, with scattered appearances throughout the night.
The room filled with supporters, who were hopeful for the results. Tom and Lisa Jelenek are Michiganders for over two decades. From Lainsberg, the couple both voted for Barrett by absentee ballot.
Tom Jelenek told City Pulse he appreciates Barrett’s military service. Lisa Jelenek said that the incumbent’s votes against the war in Iran set him apart from other Congressional Republicans. Reporting from ABC News noted that one of the measures Barrett voted for in opposition to the war, which passed the House and the Senate, was largely symbolic and lacked any real teeth to end the conflict.
Lisa Jelenek said that, ultimately, she will sleep fine with whoever takes the seat. “The way this goes down is the way this goes down.”
Guests gradually filed out as the night continued. Tables were left deserted with empty beer bottles and glasses half-filled with water.
Around 2:15 a.m., live election coverage was turned off, and the screens turned dark. A member of the campaign team took down the “Tom Barrett for Congress” themed backdrop from the stage. About a dozen supporters, mostly members of Michigan State University’s College Republican chapter, lingered in the space, milling about and waiting for direction from Barrett.
At 2:39 a.m., Barrett walked near the event space doors, spoke quietly with MSUCR members and subsequently left without making any official closing remarks or speaking to the press.
MSUCR members told City Pulse that Barrett was not ready to concede the race and that they would wait to see what the coming hours bring. However, they said that Barrett would not contest the results if they favored his opponent.
By 3 a.m., the Associated Press had yet to call the race.
