Sanders Endorses Climate Activist in Michigan Congressional Race

Sen. Bernie Sanders has endorsed Will Lawrence, a prominent environmental organizer calling for a nationwide moratorium on data centers, in the Democratic primary for a swing Michigan congressional district.

Lawrence co-founded the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate justice group, and helped lead the campaign for a Green New Deal targeting economic and racial injustice alongside climate change.

He is now vying for the Democratic nomination in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, a competitive seat in a three-way primary.

“I learned at Sunrise just how important it is who is in office,” Lawrence, a Lansing native, said. The group gained notoriety in 2018 when activists occupied then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, demanding an accelerated phase-out of fossil fuels and a federal jobs guarantee.

Voters in the 7th District backed Donald Trump in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections and elected Republican Rep. Tom Barrett in 2024. However, the Cook Political Report rates the district a “toss-up” heading into the November midterms, making it a top Democratic target.

Sanders, the independent Vermont senator, announced his endorsement Thursday morning.

In a statement, Sanders called Lawrence an “accomplished organizer” who will “demand real accountability for big tech and AI companies” as massive data centers are built across the country.

“Will is running an energizing, people-powered campaign and building a strong grassroots coalition that is prepared to stand up to Big Money interests,” Sanders said. “Will is exactly the kind of leader we need in Congress, and I’m proud to support his campaign.”

Lawrence has also secured the endorsement of progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and has led in some primary polls.

The district, which spans south-central Michigan and includes Lansing, has three proposed hyperscale AI data centers; Lansing’s city council recently rejected another one.

Lawrence supports Sanders’ call for a national moratorium on AI data centers until stringent regulations are in place. He has joined residents in Lansing and across the district to protest the proposals.

The opposition is part of a wider effort by progressive climate advocates to reframe environmental policies as populist economic issues.

Lawrence said data centers pose multiple problems: they power AI that could displace jobs, consume large amounts of water, and drive up electricity bills due to huge energy demands.

Most proposed US data centers would rely on natural gas, a fossil fuel. “It’s a form of climate denial, it really is, if you think that we’re going to be able to bring all this natural gas online and it’s not going to have a devastating impact on Michigan’s climate,” Lawrence said.

Incumbent Rep. Tom Barrett (R) opposes a national moratorium on data centers. Lawrence’s Democratic primary opponents, Bridget Brink and Matt Maasdam, have also not endorsed a temporary ban.

“Whether a community chooses to have data centers is up to those communities. The federal government should not tell local officials what businesses they can or cannot have,” Jason Cabel Roe, a consultant for Barrett’s campaign, told the Guardian. “Congressman Barrett believes local communities and their elected officials are best equipped to make those decisions.”

A spokesperson for Brink, a former U.S. ambassador to Slovakia endorsed by Emily’s List and some local officials, said she also believes “local communities should hold the decision making power on building data centers, with transparency and accountability from corporations and government officials.”

“Any data center project should ensure hard-working Michigan families won’t pay higher utility rates, data centers don’t strain our grid and rely on their own clean energy power and utility infrastructure, communities aren’t hurt, and our environment is protected,” the spokesperson said.

Matt Maasdam, a former military aide to President Barack Obama, did not respond to a request for comment. His campaign website states he would “make sure Michigan families are at the forefront of the AI safety conversation, protecting kids from harmful content and keeping their data and privacy secure.”

Lawrence said he has heard concerns from both Democratic and Republican voters about AI infrastructure, but acknowledged that some labor unions and local officials support data center projects for jobs and investment. He said he is “sympathetic to their concerns” but considers data centers a “raw deal.”

“These big tech billionaires want us to be desperate, they want us to have no development opportunities, except for these very massive data centers that very few people want … and that threaten employment with AI in the longer term,” Lawrence said. He argued that too many elected Republicans and Democrats accept money from Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and big oil.

Lawrence noted that Barrett has accepted donations from political action committees linked to DTE Energy and other private entities, accusing the Republican of “nothing but follow orders from these corporate donors and from President Trump.”

Roe responded: “Mr. Lawrence might not like it, but the voters of the 7th District voted for President Trump, not Kamala Harris. They also voted by an even larger margin for Congressman Barrett.”

Lawrence also pointed out that both Brink and Maasdam have received funding from Big Tech investors, including those with stakes in data centers. Sam Boorstyn, Brink’s campaign manager, said she was “not going to stand for cynical smears from Donald Trump or her political opponents” but did not directly address questions about Brink’s corporate donors.

AI policy sits at the center of the competition for this congressional seat. “Data centers put a tremendous, unprecedented and unexpected burden on the grid to increase overall demand,” Lawrence said. “And there’s just no plan to do that in a clean way.”