William Lawrence, a 36-year-old Democrat and co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, is running for U.S. Congress in Michigan’s 7th District, a competitive swing seat encompassing Lansing and its suburbs. The race has drawn attention for an unusual political coalition that has formed around opposition to data center development and concerns about industrial projects more broadly.
Lawrence has secured backing from Marjorie Steele, who runs the Economic Development Responsibility Alliance, an activist group that opposes large-scale industrial development including solar farms, battery storage systems, and transmission infrastructure. Steele, who describes herself as a political independent, initially worried about how Lawrence would respond to her critiques of clean energy projects. After meeting with Lawrence in Lansing to discuss what she views as negative consequences of renewable energy development, including noise pollution and farmland destruction, Steele’s organization endorsed him—a rare move for major-party candidates.
The district has experienced significant backlash against data center expansion, including multiple local government bans and the derailment of the Deep Green project despite developer promises regarding waste heat recycling and minimal water usage. Activist concerns span partisan lines, encompassing both conservative and progressive voices opposed to development. Lawrence, emerging from the mainstream climate movement, has positioned himself to address both traditional Democratic climate concerns and local anxieties about industrial projects.
Lawrence defeated two centrist candidates in the August Democratic primary with 40 percent of the vote and has since secured endorsements from congressional Democratic leadership, despite their initial opposition to him. He has maintained competitive fundraising against Republican incumbent Tom Barrett, who won the seat in 2024 when Democrat Elissa Slotkin vacated it to run for U.S. Senate. Lawrence has campaigned through extensive door-to-door canvassing and numerous unscripted town halls, approaching the race as a community organizing effort rather than a traditional political campaign.
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