Tag: Al Lawson

The Story: The Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis (R), has proposed a redistricting plan for the state. As a consequence of the 2020 Census, Florida...

Saturday afternoon saw a couple of atypical retweets from the personal account of Rep. Al Lawson. The RT action went to President Donald Trump, in what was either a remarkable crossing of party lines in a contested primary, or perhaps a compromised account. After deleting the tweets, Lawson asserted the “campaign accounts” were “breached” and “hacked,” an example of “dirty politics at best.” Lawson’s team is looking for the hackers, we are told. Lawson’s opponent, former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown, wasn’t buying the hack claims: “Years ago, Al Lawson hacked into right-wing, extreme Republican policies — that’s why he’s been supported by the NRA, applauds Trump’s agenda and drains billions of dollars from our public schools. The first RT saw Lawson’s account support Trump’s allegations of Democratic corruption, cooperation with Russia, and bashing of the “fake news media.” The second RT saw Lawson’s account support Trump’s imposition of tariffs against traditional U.S. allies in Mexico, Canada, and the EU, a tweet that condemned “stupid trade.” Each of these tweets is at odds with Democratic orthodoxy. Brown, running against incumbent Rep. Al Lawson in North Florida’s sprawling, east-west Congressional District 5. has already messaged on a perceived Lawson affinity for Trump, launched after Lawson applauded Trump extolling a low unemployment rate for African-Americans in the 2008 State of the Union. Lawson addressed that affinity in Jacksonville last week. “Nobody in the Black Caucus voted for me. That’s why I don’t understand when people say [I] don’t vote with the Black Caucus,” Lawson said, noting that he votes for what his district wants. “There were other African-Americans there who did clap, but the camera focused on me,” Lawson said, noting that “some people take a spin, opponents and stuff, say ‘he is the President’s new best friend.” “I’m the friend of the people who are going to help my constituents,” Lawson said, to scattered applause.