Lawson Confirms He Will Primary Boyd

Florida state Senate Minority Leader Al Lawson (D) said Wednesday that he will challenge Blue Dog member Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) in a primary next year.

Lawson is term-limited in his state Senate seat in 2010.

“There are term limits for legislators, and I always thought there should be term limits for members of Congress,” Lawson told the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper. “There needs to be a fresh approach.”

People close to Lawson telegraphed the primary challenge in recent days, but Lawson made it official by stating his intention to run.

Boyd campaigned hard for his cousin in a primary against Lawson in 2000, but Lawson said it was nothing personal against the congressman.

Lawson suggested that he will go after Boyd for voting for the bailout for Wall Street, while being one of 11 Democrats to vote against the stimulus package last week.

The senator is African-American, and the district is more than one-fifth black.

— Aaron Blake