William Lawrence for Congress
July 5, 2026 · Newsletter
Leadership Starts With Showing Up
This Thursday evening, I will be holding a town hall meeting in the Capital Area District Library Downtown auditorium. It is open to all, but the auditorium capacity is limited, so please claim your seat by RSVP’ing now:
This town hall is in lieu of a previously scheduled Democratic primary debate, which was called off after my opponents Bridget Brink and Matt Maasdam backed out.
Their evasiveness does a disservice to local Democratic voters. We should all want the eventual nominee to be tested on the debate stage before going toe-to-toe with Barrett this fall.
No matter. I’ve already proven that I can take the fight to Barrett, by serving people and making myself available at his own office. The media also reported that I stood out from the pack at mid-June’s candidate forum. If you’ve been following the campaign, it’s clear that I am the strongest Democrat to stand on the debate stage across from Barrett.
In the meantime, I’m taking matters into my own hands by hosting this town hall. While Bridget, Matt, and Barrett all prefer stage-managed and scripted appearances, I’m happy to receive any and all questions from my town hall audience.
As your Congressman, I pledge to hold at least 4 open town hall meetings each year, one per quarter.
Dialogue is essential to democracy, and dialogue can only come through accessibility. Slogans and advertisements talk at voters without voters being able to talk back. A politics without dialogue or debate is mere manipulation, rather than public leadership. Manipulation dumbs us down. Dialogue lifts us up to higher understanding and shared learning. It starts with showing up to the conversation.
As I wrote this week in the Lansing City Pulse:
Local TV watchers can attest that Brink and Maasdam aren’t shy about appearing on air. They’re flooding the airwaves with endless advertisements boosting themselves and smearing each other. This plays to their strength, which is hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Wall Street and Silicon Valley partners, health insurance CEOs, and war lobbyists. It seems that Brink and Maasdam would rather be on TV in ways they can control: in 30 second ad spots, instead of answering for their records on the debate stage.
Democratic voters deserve better. If you’re not prepared to debate me in a primary, how can the voters trust that you’ll debate Barrett effectively? If you haven’t shown up to serve the people along the course of the campaign, why should you be trusted to serve them in office?
My teachers at East Lansing public schools and my elders at Edgewood United Church taught me that meaningful change begins by showing up. That’s what I’ve done throughout my career, throughout this campaign, and that’s what I’ll continue to do.
Votes of Note In DC
Republican revolt to take away the vote. 14 Republicans tanked the defense spending authorization bill by trying to force the SAVE voter suppression act into it. Having lost control of his caucus, Speaker Mike Johnson sent the House home early for its 4th of July holiday. (The Hill)
Whitmer sends Michigan National Guard to DC. Not a vote, but an ongoing controversy relevant to our state. Governor Whitmer deployed the Michigan National Guard to Washington DC, where Trump is using guardsmen to maintain an occupying presence of the city of DC. After facing criticism from DC residents and Michiganders, Whitmer issued a directive that the Michigan guard may only be used for protecting the 250th anniversary celebrations. We’ll see if this boundary is observed, and if it isn’t, whether Whitmer follows through on her pledge to withdraw the guard. (Free DC; WLNS)
District Notes
Lansing shooting. A 15-year old boy was shot and killed on the west side of Lansing. My deepest sympathies to his family and all who knew him. The good people at Advance Peace and the Lansing Empowerment Network have moved into action to prevent retaliatory violence. As your Congressman, I will support community violence intervention programs that work alongside law enforcement to interrupt gun violence before it happens, and preventing escalation when it does.
East Lansing leadership vacuums. Michigan State is without a president. East Lansing is without a permanent city manager. Each situation is different, but the common theme is a lack of steady and trustworthy public leadership. The employees, students, taxpayers and stakeholders of these public institutions deserve better. Now is a time for open, bold and public-spirited leadership – why does that seem so hard to find?
Balloon fest. June concluded with the annual festivity in Howell. I was all puffed up and excited to go, but my schedule did not allow it. Next year, next year. Going up in a hot air balloon is on my bucket list! If any of my readers are ballon fest regulars, drop me a response so we can get planning for the future.