In closely watched Michigan district, progressive William Lawrence beats GOP’s Barrett after data center debate

A closely watched district race

Lawrence defeated Barrett in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, CBS News projected. The contest was among the nation’s most closely watched races. Barrett was first elected in 2024, when he flipped the Lansing-area district to Republicans. He was a one-term representative seeking to hold the seat.

Barrett’s record and campaign

Barrett was among the first House Republicans to break with President Trump on war powers resolutions. He voted to end the war with Iran without congressional approval, but later campaigned alongside Trump and received his endorsement.

Barrett also addressed data center regulation. He said decisions should be made locally, rather than supporting the federal development moratorium Lawrence called for.

Lawrence’s campaign themes

Before the primary, Lawrence said he let his DSA membership lapse to “make clear” to district voters that he would represent them. His campaign focused on living costs and opposition to data centers.

Past posts drew scrutiny

After the primary, Lawrence’s old social media posts attracted attention. One deleted post from December 2021, reported by CNN, targeted moderate former Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. Lawrence also faced scrutiny for a past call to defund the police. He said those posts no longer reflected his beliefs and distanced himself from them.