William Lawrence

William Lawrence grew up in East Lansing, graduated from East Lansing High School and now lives in Lansing with his wife.¹ He says he first learned about climate change at 12 and remembers skiing Mount Brighton as a high school student.²

A Swarthmore College graduate, Lawrence helped found Sunrise Movement, the national youth climate organization.³ His earlier work included building the Fossil Fuel Divestment Student Network, working with the Momentum training institute and researching the Global Nonviolent Action Database.³ His campaign describes his early organizing focus as addressing climate change and creating green jobs.¹

His Michigan housing work includes helping found the Rent Is Too Damn High Coalition and Mid-Michigan Tenant Resource Center.¹ The latter works to help families avoid homelessness.¹ He has also joined picket lines with General Motors and Starbucks workers and supports the PRO Act to strengthen union organizing rights.²

Lawrence supports major federal housing investment, a federal tenant bill of rights and Medicare for All.² He also favors a minimum tax on billionaires, lifting Social Security's payroll tax cap and protecting abortion rights in federal law.² In foreign policy, he opposes U.S. arms for Israel while supporting military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine alongside negotiations to end the war.²