Al Lawson

File:Representative Al Lawson dnd0611.jpg

File:Alfred Lawson.jpg

Lawson was born in Midway, Florida, and attended Havana Northside High School, where he was a standout athlete in basketball and track. He went on to be a basketball star at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science. After a brief stint as a professional basketball player with the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks,{{cite web| url=https://www.rollcall.com/hoh/take-five-al-lawson| title=Florida Democrat talks about his American Basketball Association career| last=Gangitano| first=Alex| date=22 March 2017| website=Roll Call| publisher=CQ Roll Call| access-date=6 March 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614071736/https://www.rollcall.com/hoh/take-five-al-lawson| archive-date=14 June 2018| url-status=dead}} Lawson returned to Tallahassee, where he landed a job at Florida State University as an assistant basketball coach and took the Seminoles to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. Lawson also earned his Master of Public Administration from Florida State University.

Lawson is an Episcopalian.{{cite web|url=https://www.pewforum.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/01/01.04.21_faith_on_the_hill_detailed.table_.update.pdf |access-date=14 April 2023|website=PEW Research Center|title=Religious affiliation of members of 117th Congress|date=January 24, 2021}}

{{Main|2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida#District 2*}}

Lawson ran for the Democratic nomination in {{ushr|Florida|2}} in 2010, challenging seven-term incumbent Allen Boyd.{{cite web|last=Kam |first=Dara |url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/floridapolitics/entries/2009/02/05/lawson_to_challenge_boyd_for_c.html |title=Palm Beach Post Blogs: Area news, sports, entertainment, business & more |publisher=The Palm Beach Post |date=2009-02-05 |access-date=2010-07-11}} He narrowly lost to Boyd in the Democratic primary,{{cite web|last=Isenstadt |first=Alex |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41436.html |title=Rep. Allen Boyd holds on in Florida |work=Politico |date=2010-08-25 |access-date=2011-06-16}} and Boyd lost to Republican newcomer Steve Southerland in the general election by more than 12 percentage points.{{cite web |last=Helgoth |first=Ali |url=http://www.newsherald.com/news/tallahassee-88281-boyd-career.html |title=Southerland defeats Boyd |publisher=The News Herald |date=2010-11-03 |access-date=2011-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101208020315/http://www.newsherald.com/news/tallahassee-88281-boyd-career.html |archive-date=2010-12-08 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://enight.dos.state.fl.us/DetailRpt.Asp?ELECTIONDATE=11/2/2010&RACE=USR&PARTY=&DIST=002&GRP=&DATAMODE= |title=2010 General Election Results |publisher=Florida Division of Elections |date=2010-11-03 |access-date=2011-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727130243/http://enight.dos.state.fl.us/DetailRpt.Asp?ELECTIONDATE=11%2F2%2F2010&RACE=USR&PARTY=&DIST=002&GRP=&DATAMODE= |archive-date=2011-07-27 |url-status=dead }}

{{Main|2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida#District 2}}

Lawson ran for the seat again, and won the Democratic nomination against Blue Dog-endorsed state representative Leonard Bembry. He lost to Southerland in the general election by less than 6 points.{{cite web|url=https://results.elections.myflorida.com/DetailRpt.Asp?ELECTIONDATE=11/6/2012&RACE=USR&PARTY=&DIST=002&GRP=&DATAMODE= |title=November 6, 2012 General Election, Official Results |publisher=Florida Division of Elections |date=2012-11-06 |access-date=2016-05-13}}

{{Main|2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida#District 5}}

A lawsuit challenging the Florida congressional district map radically changed the 5th district. For the past quarter-century, the district and its predecessors had covered most of the majority-black precincts from Jacksonville to Orlando. The new map changed the district to an east–west configuration stretching across all or part of eight counties from Tallahassee to downtown Jacksonville. The redrawn district included Lawson's home in Tallahassee, and Lawson announced he would run for the 5th on December 15, 2015, setting up a battle against Corrine Brown, the only representative the district had had since its creation in 1993.{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2015/12/lawson-announces-run-for-congress-029129|title=Lawson announces run for Congress|first=Marc|last=Caputo|work=Politico|date=December 15, 2015}}

The district's demographics appeared to be against Lawson. While it now included most of Tallahassee, the capital and its suburbs only accounted for 32% of the district's population, while the Jacksonville area-Brown's base-accounted for 61%.{{cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16OF7EgHsAzXCVeLhrq-yUAsiSeNm_tJz2yYg_rapjmY/edit?ts=568eb6c7&usp=embed_facebook|title=Daily Kos Elections congressional district redistribution analysis (post-2010 census)|website=Google Docs}} But Lawson's candidacy received a significant boost in July 2016, when Brown was indicted on federal corruption charges.{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/corrine-brown-indictment/490514/|title=Representative Corrine Brown Indicted on Federal Charges|first=Nora|last=Kelly|work=The Atlantic|date=July 8, 2016}} He defeated Brown in the Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic district—on August 30. He then defeated Republican Glo Smith in the November 8 general election with 64% of the vote.{{cite web|last1=Gardner|first1=Lynnsey|last2=Moyer|first2=Crystal|url=http://www.news4jax.com/news/elections/challengers-aim-to-unseat-corrine-brown-in-primary|title=After 12 terms in Congress, Corrine Brown defeated|work=WJXT|date=August 30, 2016|access-date=August 30, 2016}}

• Committee on Agriculture
• Subcommittee on Nutrition
• Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
• United States House Committee on Financial Services
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Housing, Community Development and Insurance
• Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions

• Congressional Black Caucus{{cite web|title=Membership|url=https://cbc.house.gov/membership/|publisher=Congressional Black Caucus|access-date=7 March 2018}}
• New Democrat Coalition{{cite web|title=Members|url=https://newdemocratcoalition-himes.house.gov/members|publisher=New Democrat Coalition|access-date=February 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208100356/https://newdemocratcoalition-himes.house.gov/members|archive-date=February 8, 2018|url-status=dead}}

After the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, Lawson expressed frustration with the lack of action on gun regulation and placed blame on lobbying organizations, saying "the stranglehold of the gun lobby has gone on long enough".{{cite news| url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/02/15/florida-democrats-say-school-massacre-a-call-for-gun-control/| work=Tampa Bay Times| location=Tampa Bay, Florida| date=15 February 2018| last=Leary| first=Alex| title=Florida Democrats say school massacre a call for gun control| access-date=23 February 2018}} Lawson supports restriction on assault weapons.{{cite news |last=Patterson |first=Steve |date=7 November 2016 |title=Al Lawson wins North Florida seat in Congress, replacing U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown |url=http://www.jacksonville.com/news/2016-11-07/al-lawson-wins-north-florida-seat-congress-replacing-us-rep-corrine-brown |work=Jacksonville.com |location=Jacksonville, Florida |access-date=23 February 2018 }} In 2017, he voted no on the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017, which would require all states to recognize concealed carry permits issued in other states.{{cite web| url=https://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/24263/al-lawson-jr/37/guns#.WpB31edG1PY| website=ISPY| publisher=Vote Smart| title=Al Lawson, Jr.'s Voting Records on Issue| access-date=23 February 2018}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-29/get-ready-for-concealed-guns-in-all-50-states |title=Get Ready for Concealed Guns in All 50 States |last=Mosendz |first=Polly |date=2017-11-29 |work=Bloomberg |access-date=2017-12-04}} Additionally, those with concealed carry permits would be permitted to carry concealed weapons in school zones.{{Cite web |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/dec/07/brendan-boyle/no-gop-concealed-carry-bill-does-not-block-states-/ |title=Concealed carry bill lets states regulate guns in schools |last=Kruzel |first=John |date=2017-12-07 |website=Politifact |language=en |access-date=2017-12-08}} Lawson also voted no on the [https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1181 Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act], which would have allowed veterans who are considered "mentally incompetent" to purchase ammunition and firearms unless declared a danger by a judge.{{cite news |last=Caplan |first=Andrew |date=21 February 2018 |title=Your leaders: 4-1 against stricter gun laws |url=http://www.gainesville.com/news/20180221/your-leaders-4-1-against-stricter-gun-laws |work=The Gainesville Sun |location=Gainesville, Florida |access-date=22 February 2018 }}

Lawson was one of five house Democrats to vote for the U.S. to continue selling arms to Saudi Arabia and to support the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.{{cite web |last1=Fuller |first1=Matt |last2=Ahmed |first2=Akbar Shahid |title=5 Democrats Bail Out Paul Ryan And Protect Saudi Arabia |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/house-democrats-paul-ryan-saudi-arabia-yemen_us_5c116c5ce4b002a46c13c62c |website=Huffington Post|date=12 December 2018 }} This vote was part a vote series that allowed debate and votes on the Farm Bill in 2018, which he called a necessary step to provide assistance to farmers in his largely agricultural district.

• List of African-American United States representatives

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• [https://lawson.house.gov Congressman Al Lawson] official U.S. House website
• [http://www.allawson.com/ Campaign website]

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Category:1948 births

Category:20th-century African-American politicians

Category:21st-century African-American politicians

Category:African-American members of the United States House of Representatives

Category:African-American state legislators in Florida

Category:Democratic Party Florida state senators

Category:Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives

Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida

Category:Episcopalians from Florida

Category:Florida A&M University alumni

Category:Florida State University alumni

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century members of the Florida Legislature

Category:21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives