State Senate Minority Leader Al Lawson is now making it known that he will indeed challenge Rep. Allen Boyd in the 2010 Democratic primary:
Lawson, an insurance agent who has represented Tallahassee in the Legislature since 1982, said today he intends next year to take on Congressman Allen Boyd, a Democrat from Monticello.
The primary will be bruising, with the nation's economic crisis front and center. [...]
Lawson has come out of the gate swinging, accusing Boyd of forgetting his struggling constituents.
Boyd voted in favor of a $700 billion taxpayer rescue of the nation's troubled financial industry that was first proposed by former President George W. Bush. Boyd joined most Republicans in Congress in voting against a more than $800 billion economic stimulus package being pushed hard by the new administration of President Barack Obama.
Congress is still negotiating a final package.
"He's putting Wall Street ahead of Main Street, and there's something wrong with that," Lawson said. "Most of that district is rural and the people need help."
Before you get too excited, though, let's not forget that Lawson "almost" endorsed Charlie Crist in 2006 -- not exactly the behavior of a progressive firebrand.
