Socialists triumph in purple Michigan’s primaries
by George Caldwell · The Washington TimesSocialist candidates won House Democratic primaries in Michigan on Tuesday, setting up a November battle to determine how much success the far left can have in a swing state.
In Michigan’s 7th Congressional District — a Republican-held Lansing seat considered one of the most competitive in the country — self-identified socialist and climate activist Will Lawrence won the Democratic nomination.
In a three-way race, he bested two mainstream Democrats, leading the runner-up by 15 points.
“People are looking for candidates who will stand up alongside working people and fight back against the billionaires and political insiders,” he said in his victory speech.
Mr. Lawrence advocates for a yearlong federal moratorium on the construction of data centers, the end of arms sales to Israel, and universal government healthcare.
He’s a far cry from the Democrats who have run successful campaigns in the Lansing area in the past.
Former Lansing-area representatives such as Sen. Elissa Slotkin and former Sen. Debbie Stabenow have opted for an image of pragmatism and compromise, rather than Mr. Lawrence’s firebrand approach.
Mr. Lawrence will face off against Rep. Tom Barrett, a freshman Republican congressman who represented the area in the state Legislature.
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Speaking to The New York Times, Mr. Barrett cautioned against underestimating Mr. Lawrence.
“I think the two Democrat candidates that he ran against didn’t take him seriously,” he said. “We’re not going to make that same mistake. We’re taking it seriously.”
Jason Roe, a consultant for Mr. Barrett’s campaign, told The Washington Times, “Lawrence is a socialist, but he’s smart and he’s got depth, and he knows policy. … I think he was just more in line with where the Democratic Party is than the other two” primary candidates.
The Cook Political Report rates the district a toss-up in the general election, meaning it will be a test of democratic socialism’s political viability in battlegrounds.
In another toppling of the establishment, state Rep. Donavan McKinney unseated Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar in a Detroit district.
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The Associated Press called the race for the self-identified socialist on Wednesday morning, when he led Mr. Thanedar 51.9% to 48.1%.
Mr. Thanedar, an Indian American known for his eccentric personality and distinctive hairstyle, had a significant funding advantage over Mr. McKinney.
Mr. Thanedar previously won two Democratic primaries against Black primary opponents by relying on his personal wealth.
Mr. McKinney ran on promises to advocate for cutting off military aid to Israel, as well as providing tuition-free college, a pathway to citizenship for all immigrants and Medicare for all.
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He attacked Mr. Thanedar as being insufficiently left-wing, even though Mr. Thanedar has introduced articles of impeachment against President Trump and multiple Cabinet members.
“Shri voted to thank ICE while arrests doubled in Detroit,” Mr. McKinney said in a social media post, referencing a resolution Mr. Thanedar voted for that thanked immigration enforcement officers. “We need a congressman who will stand up to Trump, not vote with him.”
The seat is rated solid Democratic by the Cook Political Report, meaning Mr. McKinney is all but guaranteed a seat in Congress, pushing the Democratic caucus further left.
Both nominees support Abdul El-Sayed, who won Michigan’s Democratic primary for the Senate.
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George Caldwell
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