Democrat William Lawrence wins Michigan's 7th District House seat, ousting GOP incumbent

Democrat William Lawrence is heading to Washington. He won the U.S. House seat in Michigan's 7th District, defeating the Republican incumbent, according to the Associated Press, which called the race.

The AP said its Decision Team declares a winner only once it is certain the trailing candidate has no remaining path to victory. That's the standard behind this call, not a projection made on partial returns.

The result flips a district that had been held by the GOP, putting another Democratic pickup on the board as both parties battle over the House majority.

The AP has been tabulating U.S. election results since 1848 and now collects figures from local election officials across thousands of races nationwide, publishing them as they come in. Its race calls rest on that vote data plus its own analysis, with two-party vote share used to measure swings at the reporting-unit level.

Lawrence's win adds a fresh name to the Democratic bench in Michigan and removes an incumbent Republican from the chamber. The broader picture — who controls the House — still hinges on the races that haven't been called yet.