Lawson, Al, 1948-

LAWSON, Alfred, Jr., a Representative from Florida; born in Midway, Gadsden County, Fla., September 23, 1948; graduated from Havana Northside High School, Havana, Fla., 1966; B.S., Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, Fla., 1970; M.S.P.A., Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla., 1973; business owner; member of the Florida state house of representatives, 1982-2000; member of the Florida state senate, 2000-2010; minority leader, 2008-2010; unsuccessful candidate for Democratic nomination to the One Hundred Twelfth Congress in 2010; unsuccessful candidate for election to the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress in 2012; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Fifteenth and to the two succeeding Congresses (January 3, 2017-present).

<p>Alfred James Lawson Jr. (born September 23, 1948), is an American politician who is the U.S. Representative for Florida's 5th congressional district, serving since 2017. The district stretches across most of the border with Georgia, including most of the majority-black areas between Tallahassee and Jacksonville.</p>

<p>A Democrat, Lawson served in the Florida Legislature for 28 years. From 1982 to 2000, he was a member of the Florida House of Representatives. From 2000 to 2010, Lawson was a member of the Florida Senate (representing the 6th district), where he was elected to serve as the Democratic Leader and eventually rose to the rank of "Dean of the Senate" prior to his election to the U.S. House of Representatives.</p>

<p>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 become 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, Lawson returned to Tallahassee where he landed a job at Florida State University as an assistant basketball coach where he helped take the Seminoles to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. Lawson also earned his Master of Public Administration from Florida State University.</p>

<p>Congressman Al Lawson is a committed public servant who brings a hard-working, problem-solving spirit to Congress and to the task of creating jobs, improving access to a quality education from the preschool through the post-secondary level and protecting working families. Re-elected for a second term in November 2018 and sworn-in January 3, 2019, Lawson represents Florida's 5th Congressional District.</p>

<p>Congressman Lawson has devoted more than half of his life to public service and is guided by the belief that the greatest gift an individual can give is service to their community. Lawson has served the people of Florida for 28 years in the state legislature as a member of the Florida House of Representative and the Florida Senate.</p>

<p>There, he was a champion for state employees and all working people in North Florida. He fought for pay raises, benefits for state workers and vigorously strived to improve the quality of life for children and the elderly. Lawson garnered national attention as Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, where he authored one of the most important environmental laws in the country. This law created the largest state-funded land acquisition program in the United States. He also authored and passed the Apalachicola Bay Protection Act and was the primary sponsor of the Everglades Protection Act. Lawson also received national recognition for his efforts to pass the Rosewood Legislation, which provided reparations to the survivors of Florida’s Rosewood massacre in the 1930s.</p>