Democrats in a battleground congressional district in Michigan are eager to oust a vulnerable Republican incumbent, as they look to win back control of the House in November.
But first, they must settle, in their own ranks, a messy and bitter competition that some worry could complicate their plans this fall.
The Democratic primary in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, which will be decided on Tuesday, has been consumed by hostilities. Two moderate candidates — who have refused the other camp’s calls to drop out — could split the vote and help open the door for a left-wing hopeful who centrist Democrats believe would alienate swing voters in the general election.
Progressive supporters believe he can win, and they see the race as one of several opportunities on Tuesday to build momentum this year.
The more moderate candidates are Matt Maasdam, a retired Navy SEAL, and Bridget A. Brink, who resigned as ambassador to Ukraine over President Trump’s coziness with Russia. As they have competed bitterly, William Lawrence, a progressive organizer backed by Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont, has emerged as a strong contender in the primary. The winner will take on Representative Tom Barrett, seen as one of the most at-risk Republican incumbents in the midterms.
“People are absolutely worried about Lawrence being able to beat Barrett,” said State Senator Sarah Anthony, who represents constituents in Michigan’s Seventh District but has not endorsed in the House race. The recriminations “could be harming our party in ways we can’t see yet,” she added.
The primary is one of several Democratic contests on Tuesday in which an insurgent progressive movement that has secured some high-profile victories this primary season faces a fresh test of its appeal. From Dr. Abdul El-Sayed’s push to defeat an establishment-backed rival in Michigan’s marquee Senate primary, to the comeback attempt by a former “Squad” member, Representative Cori Bush, in Missouri, to the effort by Donavan McKinney, a democratic socialist, to oust an incumbent Democrat in Detroit, there is much at stake for the left.
And the unusual scrum in Michigan’s Seventh District is raising progressives’ hopes.
The rivalry between the two moderate campaigns turned ugly last month when Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat who held the seat before Mr. Barrett, formally endorsed Mr. Maasdam, filmed a super PAC ad on his behalf and put her name on his fund-raising materials. Ms. Slotkin’s intervention for Mr. Maasdam stunned and upset some Democrats, especially those in Ms. Brink’s camp, who felt that the former ambassador had a clearer path to victory.
Recently, tensions in the race have risen, with negative ads and accusations flying.
“It’s been very difficult, particularly in the last two weeks with the endorsing and the terrible TV ads,” said State Representative Jennifer Conlin, who represents constituents in the Seventh District and has endorsed Ms. Brink.
The House Democratic campaign arm has not made an endorsement in the primary. Meanwhile, Mr. Lawrence, who supports Medicare for all and the end of arms sales to Israel, has appeared to build momentum through the final stretch of the race.
He also faced criticism after a comment he made in 2024 saying an older generation of Black Democratic leadership “defangs the white left” surfaced online. The Congressional Black Caucus’s political organization said his backers should withdraw their support for him. Mr. Lawrence said he regretted the comment.
Mr. Lawrence said in an interview that he was “someone who has always been learning and growing.” He added that he had been in contact with House leadership and that, if elected, he would support Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York, for speaker.
Republicans are eager to run against left-wing candidates and portray them as outside the mainstream. So when a shadowy super PAC sprang up late last month and began running ads attacking Mr. Maasdam — and promoting Mr. Lawrence — some Democrats accused Republicans of meddling. Democrats pointed to a little-known South Dakota bank it uses that has been linked with G.O.P. operatives. The group, called Michigan Sunrise PAC, did not respond to requests for comment
Ms. Brink said in a statement that voters she talks to “see through the desperate lies, mudslinging, and smears that have been launched in this race and are fed up with this kind of politics.”
Emma Grundhauser, Mr. Maasdam’s campaign manager, said in a statement that the campaign was “not focused on finger-pointing in Washington DC” but on speaking to voters.
When Ms. Slotkin endorsed Mr. Maasdam and cut an ad for him, some allies of Ms. Brink were confused by the timing — and worried that Ms. Slotkin would undercut the momentum they felt Ms. Brink’s campaign had built earlier in the race.
Ms. Slotkin had distributed polling data touting Mr. Maasdam’s prospects in June 2025, a review of polling materials and related written correspondence show, and recruited him to run, according to multiple Democrats familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private talks.
“Senator Slotkin is singularly focused on one thing: flipping her old seat from red back to blue,” Josh Stewart, a spokesman for Ms. Slotkin, said.
