Sunrise co-founder, data center critic nabs big primary
By Timothy Cama | 08/05/2026 06:40 AM EDT
The Michigan Senate Democratic primary, the biggest race of the night, remained too close to call.
William Lawrence during a rally in Lansing, Michigan, on July 19. Andrew Roth/Sipa USA via AP
William Lawrence, a data center moratorium supporter who co-founded the progressive Sunrise Movement, won a critical Michigan congressional primary Tuesday over two more-moderate and better-funded Democrats.
Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive former public health official who favors extensive new standards for data centers, had yet to clinch the nomination for U.S. Senate on Wednesday morning but was ahead of Rep. Haley Stevens with most votes counted.
Lawrence, a community organizer, staked a large portion of his bid for the 7th District seat on data center concerns, featuring the issue in multiple television advertisements and on the campaign trail.
He supports a nationwide moratorium on new data centers, due to concerns about their impact on electricity pri…