Party leaders had previously declined to promote Michigan activist William Lawrence, who has drawn attention for past social media posts.
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House Democrats’ campaign arm added three battleground candidates to its “Red to Blue” program this morning in another sign that the party is feeling bullish about its prospects for regaining power in the chamber.
Michigan activist William Lawrence, Alaska fisherman and teacher Bill Hill, who is running as an independent, and Wisconsin nurse Mitchell Berman were added, giving them access to strategic guidance, increased resources and additional fundraising help from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The DCCC now has 40 races on the list. Democrats need to net at least four seats to flip control of the House, but the effects of redistricting are expected to benefit Republicans.
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Leading House Democrats had previously declined to publicly promote the left-wing Lawrence, who defeated party leaders’ preferred candidates in early August’s Democratic primary. Republicans and some Democrats have criticized Lawrence, who co-founded the climate action group Sunrise Movement, for past social media posts espousing fringe beliefs including backing prison abolition, nationalizing fossil-fuel companies and arguing for an “overhaul” of the Constitution. CNN first reported the old posts.
He has distanced himself from some of the comments. “Like many millennials, I’ve done my fair share of thinking out loud on the internet,” he told CNN.
Lawrence also faced backlash for past criticism of Black political leaders. In a 2024 podcast, he accused some Black lawmakers of being “a pillar, frankly, for establishment, capitalist, imperialist American power.” He has since apologized for the remark and said his words were “taken out of context.”
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