William Lawrence, a progressive House candidate whose recent surge in Michigan's 7th congressional district has alarmed Democratic party officials, once described Black U.S. political leaders as a 'pillar' of the 'capitalist, imperialist' American establishment whose support for Democratic leadership 'defangs the white left.'
Podcast Comments and Apology
Lawrence, a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, made the remarks on the Sept. 10, 2024, episode of his podcast, Hegemonicon, which covers social movements and politics. 'The extent to which the older generation of Black political leadership are such a pillar, frankly, for establishment, capitalist, imperialist American power through their role as this kind of traditionalist, establishment-ist pillar of the Democratic Party, it’s a big problem,' he said around the 41:48 mark. 'It’s a big problem for left politics in this country. And it gets us every single time. It really defangs the white left and puts us in impossible positions, really.'
Lawrence expressed regret for the comments on Friday. 'I have tremendous respect for Black community leaders, who have been at the forefront of the fight for freedom for centuries,' he told HuffPost in a statement. 'This was in the context of a wide-ranging conversation with a guest on the show about racial dynamics in progressive politics. I regret how this specific point was expressed.' The conversation was with Khury Petersen-Smith, a young Black activist and the Michael Ratner Middle East Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies.
District and Primary Context
Lawrence is running in a toss-up district covering much of south-central Michigan on a left-wing platform. The seat is held by Republican Tom Barrett and is considered one of the Democratic Party's best pickup opportunities in 2026. Democratic and Republican super PACs have already reserved $22 million worth of airtime for the general election.
The Democratic nomination was long seen as a contest between Matt Maasdam, a former Navy SEAL, and Bridget Brink, a diplomat who served as ambassador to Ukraine. Both had raised millions of dollars by March, far outpacing Lawrence. However, the 35-year-old Lawrence has surged in recent weeks, earning endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive favorite in the state's U.S. Senate race. The race is now a three-way contest.
Party Concerns and Attack Ads
A national Democratic strategist, speaking anonymously, said party officials fear Lawrence would be 'the worst of both worlds electorally,' bringing leftist baggage without outsider credentials. 'He has all of the downside and none of the upside of a candidate like El-Sayed,' the strategist said. 'Could he win? Maybe. But we’d be making it considerably harder for ourselves by nominating someone whose views are extreme and whose background is part of a system voters hate.'
Lawrence's campaign released an internal poll showing him narrowly leading Barrett. In a sign of establishment concern, a Democratic PAC called 'Crush MAGA PAC' is spending $532,000 on an attack ad accusing Lawrence of 'running a dark money organization' investing in 'Wall Street, big oil, and data centers' and campaigning 'against Democrats.' The ad's claims are misleading: the investments refer to $11,000 in his retirement fund, and the 'uncommitted' vote in the 2024 primary was part of a protest by 100,000 Michigan voters over Gaza. Lawrence campaigned for Kamala Harris in 2024 and voted for the Democratic ticket.
Lawrence criticized the ad, saying, 'A SuperPAC run by D.C. insiders and tied to [pro-Israel groups] is spreading ridiculous smears about me because I’m the only candidate who will take on the billionaire class and the pro-war lobby. I’m focused on beating Tom Barrett. The D.C. consultants should be doing the same.'
Key Issues and Progressive Alliances
A key factor in Lawrence's rise is his opposition to data centers, putting him at odds with Democratic leaders who support Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's push for such projects. His first ad slams data centers as a drain that will ruin landscapes and 'tank property values.' 'Will Lawrence won’t let us be bullied by big corporations,' a local property owner says in the ad.
Another factor is the rise of El-Sayed, who is in a close race with Rep. Haley Stevens for the Senate nomination. Many Democrats in the district link the two progressives, who have cross-endorsed each other and plan to campaign with Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) next week in Lansing.
Maasdam and Brink still win large shares of El-Sayed voters in internal polls, partly due to anti-corruption stances. Maasdam has declined corporate PAC money and supports a ban on congressional stock trading; Brink highlights her work in Ukraine to ensure funds were not wasted. Maasdam and his allies have outspent Brink by roughly 2-to-1, with little spent to boost Lawrence so far.
