Upset Brief · MI-07 · William Lawrence (D) vs. Tom Barrett (R), incumbent
Lawrence can win. The plan uses 80 percent of what history allows.
50%
odds today
62%
odds with the plan
7,577
net votes to find
36
days left, ballots already coming in
Where
- 01+2,307Lansing (Ingham County)Starting line Lawrence +47. 1.7% split their ticket. About 11,486 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 02+978East Lansing (Ingham County)Starting line Lawrence +58. 1.3% split their ticket. About 4,601 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 03+461Meridian Township (Ingham County)Starting line Lawrence +42. 1.5% split their ticket. About 3,840 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 04+368Delta Township (Eaton County)Starting line Lawrence +23. 3.3% split their ticket.
- 05+240Delhi Township (Ingham County)Starting line Lawrence +20. 2.3% split their ticket.
- 06+182Lyon Township (Oakland County)Starting line Barrett +14. 3.1% split their ticket.
The top 12 cities and townships carry 67% of the plan.
How
- P+3,584Persuade4,501 voters who split their ticket in recent elections and lean Barrett today.
- M+3,181MobilizeAt least 30,237 people who voted in 2024 but not in 2022, in cities and townships where Lawrence's side wins at least 55 percent.
- C+1,191ConsolidateVoters who went third party in recent races, in the cities and townships that lean Lawrence's way.
What has to be true
- Lawrence wins 40 percent of the ticket splitters now leaning Barrett.
- In Lansing (Ingham County) and East Lansing (Ingham County), 28 percent of the people who voted in 2024 but skipped 2022 come back and vote.
- No national wave is required. The plan uses 80 percent of what recent Michigan results show is possible.
- Published 2026 polls do not set the starting line here (every usable one comes from one side's sponsors, and the major ratings disagree); with Cook, Sabato and Inside Elections all at toss-up, the race is treated as a tie. An independent head-to-head poll would move it.
The numbers behind it
- 01Crossover regression302 precincts, R² 0.997, 46 crossover precincts identified
- 02Monte Carlo20,000 seeded simulated elections with a 7-point baseline error. 90% range of the final margin with the plan: -35,702 to 52,074 votes.
- 03Money, FEC candidate totals through July 15Lawrence $383,116 cash on hand; Barrett $2,871,872.
- 04Call program for this list20,616 households, 61,849 dials, about 3,241 live conversations: an estimated $7,150 at published rates.
Independent analysis by The Political Group from official Michigan Bureau of Elections precinct returns (2022 and 2024), FEC filings and published polls, as of September 27, 2026. Not affiliated with any candidate or party.