Al Lawson
Creator:Eric Connolly, U.S. House Office of PhotographyBio | Alfred Lawson is the U.S. Representative for Florida’s 5th congressional district. He is an American politician. |
Status and Position | Current US House of Representatives of Florida |
Political Party and Jurisdiction | Democrat, Florida |
Elections | Election Jurisdiction | Started Campaign | Campaign Status | Poll Rankings (of the vote) |
| 2020 House of Representatives Election FL-05 | FL-05 | Yes | Running | N/A |
Campaign Financing | Lawson has raised almost $500,000, the majority of which was spent defending his seat in the primary in the safe Democratic district; his top donors were healthcare and insurance companies. |
Voting Rights | Lawson has voted to expand vote-by-mail access during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. |
Opinions on Issues
Issues | Stance | Summary |
| Universal Healthcare | Nuance | Lawson does not support universal healthcare, but supports expanding existing affordable care. He was challenged in his primary by two other Democrats supporting M4A, but defeated them, and has stated the need for all Americans to receive access to affordable healthcare. |
| Socialized Healthcare | For | Lawson supports the Affordable Care Act and has criticized [Republican] attempts to repeal it. |
| Private Healthcare | Nuance | Lawson has criticized private insurance and states the need for the ACA to ensure costs are kept low, but does not support abolishing private [health] insurance. |
| LGBT Rights | For | Lawson supports LGBT+ rights and protections. He voted for the Equality Act, saying that “With today’s vote, we can put an end to discrimination facing our LGBTQ community and bring our nation closer to equality for all.” |
| Taxes | Nuance | Lawson supports tax cuts for middle-class Americans, but less so for the highest-income earners. He voted against the Trump 2017 tax cuts, saying that they only lowered taxes for the wealthiest Americans and corporations, and were a missed opportunity at reform. |
| Flat Tax Rate | Against | Lawson supports raising taxes on the wealthiest or highest-earning Americans. He voted against the Trump 2017 tax cuts, saying that they only lowered taxes for the wealthiest Americans and corporations, and were a missed opportunity at reform. |
| Abortion | For | Lawson is pro-choice and has a 100% rating from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. In emergency talks about coronavirus relief, he stated that "We must reject any further provisions that harm access to abortion care, restrict abortion coverage, or contribute to clinics shutting their doors." |
| Gun Control | For | Lawson supports stricter gun control measures. After the Parkland shooting, he said that "the stranglehold of the gun lobby has gone on long enough". He has voted for restrictions on assault weapons and against expanding concealed-carry permits. |
| Assisted Suicide | Unknown | He does not have a public position yet on assisted suicide. After the Parkland shooting, he said that "the stranglehold of the gun lobby has gone on long enough". He has voted for restrictions on assault weapons and against expanding concealed-carry permits. |
| Government Interference | For | Lawson supports government intervention in healthcare and economic measures in order to protect citizens. |
| Planned Parenthood | For | Lawson has opposed anti-choice bills and is rated 100% by the Planned Parenthood Fund. |
| Welfare | For | Lawson supports increasing the solvency of welfare programs. Has voted to expand and extend Social Security (HR 4121) and disability insurance access. |
| Welfare | Unknown | He has not made a public position on this issue. |
| Death Penalty | Unknown | He has not made a public stance on this issue. N/A |
| Mandatory Prison Sentence | Against | Lawson has spoken on the need for criminal justice reform, including reducing incarceration. |
| Military Spending | Against | In the 2016 election, Green stated that there wasn't a need for increased military spending, while his Republican opponent supported it. |
| War on Terrorism | Against | Voted for S.J.Res 68, which "Requires the president to end the use of US Armed Forces for hostilities against Iran or any part of its government or military, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force against Iran" |
| Foreign Policy International Interaction | For | Lawson supports increased international interaction. Has voted for bills which increased trade like the USMCA and the NATO Support Act. |
| United Nations power | Unknown | He does not have a public position on the United Nations. |
| Nationalism | Against | Said that Trump should not be defending nationalist hate groups. |
| Free Markets | Nuance | While Lawson has voted for measures that would see the government interfere with markets, he has also voted in favor of loosening trade. Opposes Trump's trade sanctions, but has voted for further government assistance in healthcare and for low-income citizens. |
| Brexit | Unknown | Does not have a public stance on Brexit. |
| Affirmative Action | Unknown | He does not have a public stance yet on affirmative action. |
| Government Spending | Nuance | Has voted for bills which would increase government spending, but his position is not clear. |
| Charter Schools | For | Lawson was criticized in the 2018 primary for supporting charter schools. |
| Common Core | Unknown | He does not have a public position on the Common Core. N/A |
| Clean Energy | For | Lawson supports increased use of clean energy. He has worked to secure sustainable energy grants for communities in his district. |
| Religious Freedom | Unknown | He does not have a public position on the issue yet. N/A |
| Separation of Church and State | Unknown | He does not have a public position on the issue yet. |
| Slavery Reparations | Unknown | He does not have a public position yet on this issue. |
| Border Control | Against | Lawson does not support harsher border control measures. He has criticized the Trump administration's attempts at building a physical barrier and the appropriation of government funding to do so. |
| Passenger Profiling | Unknown | He does not have a public stance on this issue. |
| DACA | For | Voted in favor of the 2019 act protecting DACA recipients. |
| Sanctuary Cities | For | Lawson voted against an act which would have stripped funding from sanctuary cities. |
| Legalizing Marijuana | For | Lawson is part of a bipartisan Florida coalition which encourages reform and loosening of federal laws regarding marijuana. |
Creator:Eric Connolly, U.S. House Office of Photography