AOC addresses apparent Will Lawrence snub at Lansing rally for Abdul El-Sayed

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez drew attention at a weekend Lansing rally after she did not mention progressive candidate Will Lawrence when he arrived for the final bow during Bernie Sanders’ appearance for Abdul El-Sayed. Ocasio-Cortez, who is described as endorsing El-Sayed, later said the absence of an explicit endorsement is not necessarily a rejection of Lawrence. Lawrence is running in the three-way Aug. primary in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District against former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam. The article notes Lawrence has faced criticism over comments on a podcast about Black Democrats. A Lawrence campaign spokesperson declined to comment. Separately, Ocasio-Cortez also did not endorse Democratic 13th Congressional District candidate Donavan McKinney at a Detroit rally tied to Sanders and El-Sayed. She said her endorsements involve a “high bar” and that she is “always careful” before endorsing.