Bernie Sanders backs climate activist in close Michigan congressional primary | Michigan

A prominent environmental organizer who called for a nationwide moratorium on data centers has received an endorsement from Bernie Sanders as he runs for the Democratic nomination in a Michigan congressional district.

Will Lawrence, co-founder of the youth-led Sunrise Movement climate justice group, was a key figure behind the Green New Deal campaign to combat economic and racial injustice while also tackling climate change.

Now he’s running for U.S. Congress in the Democratic three-way primary to represent the party in Michigan’s purple seventh district.

“I learned at Sunrise how important it is who is in charge,” said Lawrence, a Lansing native. The group made headlines in 2018 when it raided the office of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and demanded a rapid end to fossil fuels and job guarantees.

Voters in Michigan’s seventh district voted for Donald Trump in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 U.S. presidential elections and also elected Republican Tom Barrett to Congress in 2024. labeled It’s a “heads” by the Cook Political Report ahead of November’s midterm elections and a key target for Democrats.

On Thursday morning, Sanders, the influential independent U.S. senator from Vermont, threw his support behind Lawrence.

In a statement, Sanders praised Lawrence as a “successful organizer” who will “demand real accountability for big tech and AI companies” as massive data centers are built across the United States.

“Will is running an energizing, people-powered campaign and building a powerful grassroots coalition ready to confront the interests of Big Money,” Sanders said. “Will is exactly the kind of leader we need in Congress, and I am proud to support his campaign.”

Lawrence, who is also supported by progressive Michigan congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, was cited as: primary pioneer According to some surveys.

In the seventh district, which covers south-central Michigan, which includes the state capital Lansing, three hyperscaler-sized AI data centers are proposed; another was recently shot by the Lansing city council.

Lawrence endorsed Sanders’ call for a national moratorium on AI data centers until lawmakers develop strict regulations. He also stood up for residents of his district, his hometown of Lansing and elsewhere. rally against the proposals.

The development comes amid a broader backlash against data centers from progressive climate advocates who are seeking to reframe climate and environmental policies as populist budget issues.

According to Lawrence, the problems with data centers are many: They fuel artificial intelligence, which threatens many jobs in America; consume water; and they can increase their electricity bills due to their large electricity needs.

The vast majority of proposed US data centers would also be powered by planet-warming gas. “If you think we can bring all this natural gas online and it won’t have a devastating impact on Michigan’s climate, that’s a form of climate denial, it really is,” Lawrence said.

Incumbent Republican congresswoman Barrett does not support a national data center moratorium. Neither of Lawrence’s two Democratic rivals – Bridget Brink and Matt Maasdam also supported the temporary ban.

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

A spokesman for Brink, a former ambassador to Slovakia who has won the support of Emily’s List, a group that supports female candidates who support abortion rights, and some local officials, said he also believes “there should be transparency and accountability of companies and government officials, and local communities should have the power to make decisions about creating data centers.”

“Any data center project must ensure that hard-working Michigan families do not pay higher utility rates, data centers do not strain our grid and rely on their own clean energy power and utility infrastructure, communities are not harmed, and our environment is protected,” the spokesperson said.

Maasdam, who served as Barack Obama’s military aide, did not respond to a request for comment. The campaign website says it will “ensure Michigan families are at the forefront of the AI ​​safety conversation, protecting children from harmful content and keeping their data and privacy safe.”

While Lawrence said he has heard from Democratic and Republican Michiganders concerned about expanding AI infrastructure, some state labor unions and local officials have supported data center proposals in the area, seeking jobs and investment. He said he “sympathizes with their concerns” but thinks the data centers are a “bad deal.”

Arguing that many elected Republicans and Democrats receive money from Silicon Valley, Wall Street and the big oil giants, Lawrence said, “These big tech billionaires want us to be hopeless, they want us to have no development opportunities other than these huge data centers that very few people want and which threaten jobs with artificial intelligence in the long run.”

Stating that Barrett received funding from political action committees affiliated with energy company DTE Energy and other private organizations, Lawrence accused the Republican of “doing nothing but following the orders of these corporate donors and President Trump.”

Roe, Barrett’s campaign advisor, said: “Mr. Lawrence may not like it, but 7th District voters voted for President Trump, not Kamala Harris. They also voted for Congresswoman Barrett by an even larger margin.”

However Threshold And maasdam Lawrence noted that they also receive funding from Big Tech investors, including those investing in data centers. Brink’s campaign manager, Sam Boorstyn, said he “will not stand for sarcastic smears from Donald Trump or his political rivals” but did not directly respond to a question about Brink’s corporate donors.

Artificial intelligence is at the heart of the race to represent this narrow congressional district. “Data centers are placing a tremendous, unprecedented and unexpected load on the grid to drive overall demand,” Lawrence said. “And there are no plans to do this cleanly.”