RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Sunrise Movement co-founder Will Lawrence is the latest progressive candidate to notch an upset Democratic House primary win — this time in a key battleground district in Michigan .
Why it matters: The seat is a top target for Democrats in November, but party leaders fear that Lawrence's left-leaning politics will make it much harder to win.
Several top House Democratic moderates expressed the view to Axios last month that Lawrence cannot beat Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.) in Michigan's 7th District.
But progressives have pushed back, arguing that concerns about Lawrence's viability in the general election are based on an outmoded metric of electability.
Driving the news: Lawrence defeated Bridget Brink, a former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, and Matt Maasdam, a former Navy SEAL and military aide to President Obama, the Associated Press projected Tuesday night.
The outcome is what party leaders in both Michigan and D.C. had feared for weeks — that Maasdam and Brink would split the moderate vote and create an opening for Lawrence to win.
The race split the establishment down the middle, with the Democratic Women's Caucus backing Brink while Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) threw her support behind Maasdam.
Zoom out: Lawrence is one of several progressives who have beaten more establishment-aligned candidates in key swing districts this election cycle.
Progressive activist and political science professor Randy Villegas beat moderate California State Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains in the race to take on Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.).
In Maine, progressive state Auditor Matt Dunlap won a primary victory over establishment-backed Joe Baldacci in the seat of retiring Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine).
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee backed Bains and Baldacci but did not take a side in Michigan's 7th District.
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