But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check

William Lawrence

Democrat · U.S. House, Michigan District 7
✓From their own words
How this mark works

We track key votes on sending U.S. weapons and money to the government of Israel. A check means every tracked vote they cast came down against sending more, on the side of peace and de-escalation. A question mark means a mixed record: they sided with sending up to half of the time. An X means they voted to send more weapons and money in over half of their tracked votes, even as the way those weapons and dollars were being used became more and more obvious. At exactly half, money this election cycle from a lobbying group we track, or an endorsement from a group that backs sending weapons, makes it an X. Only votes actually cast are counted. Where a candidate has no recorded votes on these bills, the mark comes instead from a reviewed reading of their public record (money from the lobbying groups we track, endorsements, and their own words since January 26, 2024). There an X also covers fully backing the conduct of the war by the government of Israel without significant reservations, and a question mark also covers speaking about Israel without saying clearly where they stand on U.S. weapons and funding. A dash means No Position Found: we found nothing in their own words about Israel, Gaza or the war.

See a dash? Ask the candidate where they stand, then send us their answer and we'll review it and update the mark. Or volunteer to help review candidates.

No recorded votes on the bills we track. In their own words on September 25, 2026.

Lawrence's campaign platform says "we must stop arming Israel, which is pursuing a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza with U.S. weapons and tax dollars." In September 2025 he called it a "moral necessity" to stop arming the government of Israel.

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Deep Dive

Lawrence is a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement and won the Democratic primary in Michigan’s 7th District on August 4, 2026. He has held no federal office.

His position on U.S. weapons is explicit and he has repeated it. His campaign platform, under the heading "Say no to endless war", says: "The United States must work for peace around the globe, rather than pursuing escalation. Most urgently, we must stop arming Israel, which is pursuing a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza with U.S. weapons and tax dollars." The home page of his campaign site lists "Stop arms sales to Israel & other human rights violators" under "Say No to endless war", one of his four priorities. Asked by Michigan Public in July 2026 what his top priorities would be, he said the first is to stop "these stupid wars we're fighting around the world, including the war in Iran, including our arming and abetting of the genocide that Israel is committing in Gaza".

In September 2025 he said it is a "moral necessity" to stop arming the government of Israel and the best leverage the United States has to end the genocide in Gaza, free the hostages and reach a lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis. At a candidate forum he said that Israel "has refused every other form of accountability and we continue to arm them." His campaign, in a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency before the primary, framed the same position as ending military support for human rights abusers and bringing the money home for jobs, housing and healthcare.

On how he describes the war, he has called it "war crimes on an historic scale" and an "ongoing genocidal siege", and described conditions for Palestinians in the West Bank as apartheid. At a candidate forum in Lansing in June 2026 he called Israel’s attacks on Gaza genocide, which local coverage recorded as one of the sharpest distinctions he drew with his rivals. Answering the same question, he said: "I support a lasting peace for all Palestinians and Israelis. Everybody deserves to live with security and in comfort."

Asked in July 2026 about the safety of Jewish constituents, his campaign told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he takes Jewish safety extremely seriously and stands against antisemitism, which it said is on the rise across the political spectrum. One further statement of his falls inside the months after October 7, 2023 and is on the research page rather than the card.

The money

Checked the five lobbying groups we track; no direct 2026 support found

2026 support from the five lobbying groups we track
Nothing recorded (as of 2026-07-23) from the five lobbying groups we track; earlier cycles and earmarked donations not yet tracked.
Support-only OpenFEC data. Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
✓ Endorsed by Peace Action +2 more
Peace ActionA national peace and disarmament group. Its endorsements cover war, Pentagon spending and diplomacy broadly, not only U.S. weapons for the government of Israel.A New Policy PACA group backing congressional candidates who want a new U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestine grounded in U.S. and international law, including conditions on military aid.Track AIPACA watchdog on AIPAC-linked money. It backs candidates who reject AIPAC support and call for an arms embargo and conditions on aid to the government of Israel.These endorsements come from groups that push to restrict or end U.S. weapons transfers to the government of Israel. Endorsements from these groups are shown for information; they do not decide the mark.

In their words

“[Israel] has refused every other form of accountability and we continue to arm them.”
Source ↗, 2026-07-14
“The United States must work for peace around the globe, rather than pursuing escalation. Most urgently, we must stop arming Israel, which is pursuing a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza with U.S. weapons and tax dollars.”
Source ↗, 2026-09-25
“Top three priorities are to stop these stupid wars we're fighting around the world, including the war in Iran, including our arming and abetting of the genocide that Israel is committing in Gaza.”
Source ↗, 2026-07-24
Endorsements

Peace Action (2026 endorsement) · A New Policy PAC (2026 endorsement) · Track AIPAC (2026 endorsement)

Research log

The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.

Our research for this card began on 2026-08-11 and was brought up to date on 2026-09-25, when every page below was opened and read unless the entry says otherwise. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07), Undated. Lawrence has never held federal office, so none of the House votes this site tracks is his. The tracked funding totals are shown as badges on this card and are not restated here.

U.S. military aid and weapons to the government of Israel

  • [Position, read 2026-09-25] His campaign platform, under the heading "Say no to endless war": "The United States must work for peace around the globe, rather than pursuing escalation. Most urgently, we must stop arming Israel, which is pursuing a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza with U.S. weapons and tax dollars." The page was first published on 2026-05-21 and last modified on 2026-09-17.
  • [Position, read 2026-09-25] His campaign home page lists four priorities. The third, "Say No to endless war", includes "End the illegal & expensive war on Iran", "Stop arms sales to Israel & other human rights violators" and "Seek diplomatic solutions to global challenges, not more war". The page was last modified on 2026-09-22.
  • [Position, 2026-07-24] Michigan Public's interview with him before the primary, on All Things Considered. Asked his top three priorities, he answered: "Top three priorities are to stop these stupid wars we're fighting around the world, including the war in Iran, including our arming and abetting of the genocide that Israel is committing in Gaza." The station notes that some quotes were lightly edited for length and clarity.
  • [Position, 2026-07-19] At a rally in Lansing with Abdul El-Sayed, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that he called to "stop arming Israel and bring our money home to invest in housing and social security." The Guardian's photo caption dates the rally to 19 July 2026.
  • [Position, 2025-09] Jewish Insider's profile of his campaign, published 2026-07-14, reports that in September 2025 he said it is a "moral necessity" to stop arming Israel, which he called "the best leverage the U.S. has to end the genocide in Gaza, apartheid conditions in the West Bank, ensure the hostages are finally freed, and move towards a lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis." The profile dates the statement by month only.
  • [Position, reported 2026-07-14] The same profile: "During a candidate forum, Lawrence said that Israel “has refused every other form of accountability and we continue to arm them.”" It does not give the forum's date or place.
  • [Position, 2026-08-04] The Jewish Telegraphic Agency's report of his primary win: his campaign told JTA in a statement ahead of primary day that it was confident his focus on "ending military support to human rights abusers and bringing that money home to fund good jobs, housing, and healthcare here at home" would play well across party lines. The same report says that at his rally with El-Sayed he called for America to "stop arming Israel."
  • [Position, 2026-08-02 to 2026-08-05] Reporters' summaries agree with his own words above: the Forward (2026-08-02) says he made "an end to all U.S. military aid to Israel a key part of his campaign"; Common Dreams (2026-08-05) says he "championed Medicare for All, legislation to curb money in politics, and an end to arms sales to Israel"; the Guardian (2026-08-05) says he highlighted "ending the war in Iran and arms sales to Israel". These are the outlets' words, not his.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • Nothing located as a distinct funding position. His platform, his home page and the interviews read for this card are about ending U.S. weapons to the government of Israel; none of them addresses UNRWA or Gaza humanitarian funding as a U.S. spending decision.

Characterization of the conflict

  • [Position, 2025-09] Jewish Insider reports that in September 2025 he said the war in Gaza involved "war crimes on an historic scale", and his "best leverage" statement above names "apartheid conditions in the West Bank".
  • [Position, reported 2026-07-14] The same profile reports that he has said the situation in Gaza constitutes an "ongoing genocidal siege", and that he has called Israel's operations in Lebanon "a war of aggression and territorial expansion". The profile does not date either statement.
  • [Position, 2026-06-16] Lansing City Pulse's report of the "Conversation with the Latino Community" forum at UAW Local 602 in Lansing, published the next morning. Asked whether Israel's military action in Gaza constituted genocide, he answered last: "The answer you haven’t heard up here is yes … My heart is pounding. It is dispiriting how many people are willing to name that basic truth." The report says he called Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip "genocide" and counts it among the sharpest distinctions he drew with his primary opponents.
  • [Position, reported 2026-07-14] Jewish Insider's version of what appears to be the same answer, as printed, spelling slip included: "I don’t know how we can call ourselves a just nation, and my heart is pounding becasue it is dispiriting in our politics to see how many people still refuse" to call Israel's war in Gaza a genocide, he said in response to the other candidates. The profile continues the quotation: "I support a lasting peace for all Palestinians and Israelis. Everybody deserves to live with security and in comfort. We got a lot of work to do with them."
  • [Position, 2026-07] After criticism of comments he made on a 2024 podcast, he said in a statement that he had been referencing "my horror at the genocide in Gaza" (Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 2026-07-30; also in Jewish Insider).
  • [Reaction window, 2023-10-09] Jewish Insider reports that on October 9, 2023 he condemned a statement by American and European leaders supporting Israel's defense, saying: "This looks like a green light for Israel to bombard Gaza with impunity, regardless of the civilian toll or risk of a regional war. Scary hours. I fear for where this will end up," It is not on the card.

Israel-related rhetoric and lobbying

  • [Position, reported 2026-07-14] Jewish Insider reports that he said AIPAC and Democratic Party insiders were behind a Crush MAGA PAC ad buy against him, which a spokesperson for United Democracy Project, the super PAC linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, denied. An earlier summary of our research said he had denounced the influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups on national policy; this report is the nearest thing to it found on a page read for this card.
  • [Position, 2026-08-05] Common Dreams reports that more than $4.5 million in outside spending was aimed at defeating him in the primary, including more than $1 million from a pass-through group for Democratic Majority for Israel, a group that backs Democrats who support the government of Israel.
  • [Position, 2026-08-04 to 2026-08-05] Coverage of his win: the Guardian, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the Times of Israel (a republication of the JTA report) and Common Dreams. The JTA and Times of Israel headlines call him "El-Sayed-aligned" and "anti-Israel". Those are the outlets' characterizations; the card uses his own words.
  • [Position, 2026-07-30] The Jewish Telegraphic Agency and the Times of Israel (the same article) on how Israel featured in Michigan's primaries.

Safety and antisemitism

  • [Position, 2026-07-30] Asked by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about the safety of Jewish constituents, his campaign responded, as printed: "Will takes Jewish safety extremely seriously and stands firmly against anti-semetisim [sic] which is unfortunately on the rise across the political spectrum." This is the campaign speaking, and it is attributed to the campaign.

What his campaign site and his own pages say

  • [Position, read 2026-09-25] His platform has sections on education and childcare, housing, health care, homelessness, mental health, taxing billionaires, labor unions, Michigan State University, Social Security, water, land, air and climate, "Say no to endless war", AI and surveillance, small businesses, the V.A., family care, "Stand up for Democracy abroad" (which supports continued military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine), equal rights and personal health care choices.

The race

Earlier record

  • His Wikipedia page and Ballotpedia entry cover his activism: he co-founded the Sunrise Movement in 2015 and left it in 2020, and has since worked on housing and tenant organizing in the Lansing area.

Places that could not be read, so nothing is claimed from them

  • A Gander Newsroom Facebook post, which shows only a login page.
  • His accounts listed on his record, https://x.com/WeWill2026 and https://www.facebook.com/wewill2026 , were not read for this card.

Not on the card, and why

  • His October 9, 2023 statement: it falls inside the reaction window and is on this page only.
  • His answer on whether the Iranian regime is evil, his description of Israel's operations in Lebanon, and his support for aid to Ukraine: different questions from what the United States sends to the government of Israel.
  • His 2024 podcast comments and the criticism of them, and his comments about other Democrats: not about U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, except for the one sentence recorded above.
  • Outlets' headline characterizations of him: the card uses his own words.

Sources retrieved for this card (address; opened or could not open; date)

  • https://wewill2026.com/platform/ (opened; 2026-09-25; modified 2026-09-17)
  • https://wewill2026.com/ (opened; 2026-09-25; modified 2026-09-22)
  • https://www.michiganpublic.org/politics-government/2026-07-24/michigans-7th-district-democratic-primary-meet-candidate-william-lawrence (opened; 2026-09-25; published 2026-07-24)
  • https://jewishinsider.com/2026/07/william-lawrence-michigan-7th-congressional-district-democrats/ (opened; 2026-09-25; published 2026-07-14)
  • https://www.jta.org/2026/07/30/politics/the-el-sayed-effect-how-jews-and-israel-are-factoring-into-michigans-other-primary-races (opened; 2026-09-25; published 2026-07-30)
  • https://www.jta.org/2026/08/04/politics/william-lawrence-el-sayed-aligned-progressive-takes-democratic-house-nomination-in-michigan-battleground-race (opened; 2026-09-25; dated 2026-08-04)
  • https://lansingcitypulse.com/lawrence-stands-out-on-gaza-line-5-universal-health-care-at-mi-7-forum/ (opened; 2026-09-25; published 2026-06-17)
  • https://www.commondreams.org/news/lawrence-wins-michigan-primary (opened; 2026-09-25; published 2026-08-05)
  • https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/05/william-lawrence-michigan-democratic-house-primary (opened; 2026-09-25; published 2026-08-05)
  • https://forward.com/news/842504/michigan-senate-primary-el-sayed-aipac/ (opened; 2026-09-25; published 2026-08-02)
  • https://www.timesofisrael.com/william-lawrence-anti-israel-progressive-takes-dem-house-nomination-in-michigan/ (opened through a text reader; 2026-09-25; published 2026-08-05)
  • https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-el-sayed-effect-how-jews-and-israel-are-factoring-into-michigans-primaries/ (opened through a text reader; 2026-09-25; published 2026-07-30)
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lawrence_(activist) (opened; 2026-09-25)
  • https://ballotpedia.org/William_Lawrence_(Michigan) (opened; 2026-09-25)
  • https://mi-boe.entellitrak.com/etk-mi-boe-prod/page.request.do?page=page.miboePublicReport&electionType=GEN&electionYear=2026 (opened; 2026-09-25; listing as of September 4)
  • https://www.facebook.com/GanderNewsroom/posts/we-gave-congressional-candidate-william-lawrence-a-break-from-the-tough-question/1648515317275236/ (login page only; 2026-09-25)
  • This is a record of what was checked on 2026-09-25, not a claim that no statement exists anywhere.

Also in this race

  1. ✗ Tom Barrett (Republican)
  2. – Shane Dedrick (Green)

All Michigan candidates.

But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Every claim on this page goes through at least two verification steps. Open Find Your Candidates for votes, funding and contact details.