Al Lawson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Al Lawson
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 5th district |
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| In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Corrine Brown |
| Succeeded by | John Rutherford |
| Minority Leader of the Florida Senate | |
| In office 2008–2010 |
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| Preceded by | Steven Geller |
| Succeeded by | Nan Rich |
| Member of the Florida Senate | |
| In office November 7, 2000 – November 2, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Pat Thomas |
| Succeeded by | Bill Montford |
| Constituency | 3rd district (2000–02) 6th district (2002–10) |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives |
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| In office November 7, 1982 – November 7, 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Leonard J. Hall |
| Succeeded by | Curtis B. Richardson |
| Constituency | 9th district (1982–92) 8th district (1992–2000) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Alfred James Lawson Jr.
September 23, 1948 Midway, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Delores Brooks
(m. 1975) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Florida A&M University (BA) Florida State University (MPA) |
Alfred James Lawson Jr., born on September 23, 1948, is an American businessman and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative for Florida's 5th congressional district from 2017 to 2023. This district covered parts of Florida along the border with Georgia, including areas between Tallahassee and Jacksonville.
After new district maps were drawn in 2022, Lawson ran in the newly shaped 2nd congressional district. He ran against fellow Congressman Neal Dunn in his hometown. Lawson won the Democratic primary election without any opponents. However, he lost to Dunn in the main election.
Before serving in the U.S. House, Lawson was a member of the Florida state legislature for 28 years. He was in the Florida House of Representatives from 1982 to 2000. Then, he served in the Florida Senate from 2000 to 2010. In the Senate, he became the Democratic leader. He was also known as the "Dean of the Senate" because he had served there for a long time. After two earlier attempts to run for Congress, Lawson won the Democratic primary in 2016. He then won the general election to become a U.S. Representative.
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Early Life and Education
Al Lawson was born in Midway, Florida. He went to Havana Northside High School. There, he was a great athlete in basketball and track. He later became a basketball star at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from FAMU.
After college, Lawson played professional basketball for a short time. He played for teams like the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks. He then returned to Tallahassee, Florida. There, he became an assistant basketball coach at Florida State University. He helped the team reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament. Lawson also earned his Master of Public Administration degree from Florida State University.
Lawson is a member of the Episcopal Church.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections for Congress
2010 Election
Lawson ran for the Democratic nomination in Florida's 2nd congressional district in 2010. He challenged Allen Boyd, who had been in office for seven terms. Lawson lost to Boyd by a small number of votes in the primary election. Boyd then lost to a new Republican candidate, Steve Southerland, in the main election.
2012 Election
Lawson ran for the same seat again in 2012. He won the Democratic nomination against state representative Leonard Bembry. However, he lost to Southerland in the general election. The difference in votes was less than 6 percent.
2016 Election
A court case changed the map for Florida's 5th congressional district. For many years, this district covered areas from Jacksonville to Orlando. The new map changed the district to go from Tallahassee to downtown Jacksonville. This new district included Lawson's home in Tallahassee.
Lawson announced he would run for the 5th district on December 15, 2015. This set up a race against Corrine Brown, who had been the representative for that district since 1993. Lawson won the Democratic primary election on August 30. This primary was the most important election in this district, as it usually votes for Democrats. He then won the general election on November 8, getting 64% of the votes.
Committee Work
Members of Congress work on different committees. These committees study specific topics and create new laws. Al Lawson was part of these committees:
- Committee on Agriculture
- Subcommittee on Nutrition
- Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
- Committee on Financial Services
Caucus Groups
Lawson was also a member of different groups called caucuses. These groups are made up of members of Congress who share similar interests or backgrounds.
- Congressional Black Caucus
- New Democrat Coalition
Political Views
Gun Safety
After the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, Lawson spoke about the need for new gun laws. He said that groups that support guns had too much power. Lawson supports rules that would limit assault weapons. In 2017, he voted against a law that would make all states recognize concealed carry permits from other states. This law would also allow people with these permits to carry hidden weapons near schools. Lawson also voted against a law that would let veterans buy guns even if they were considered "mentally incompetent," unless a judge said they were dangerous.
Supporting Farmers
Lawson voted on important bills like the Farm Bill in 2018. He said this bill was important to help farmers in his district, which has a lot of agriculture.
See Also
In Spanish: Al Lawson para niños
