B.J. Lawson

Infobox Person
name = B.J. Lawson (R-NC)


image_size = 150px
caption =
birth_name = William T. Lawson, Jr.
birth_date = March 30, 1974
birth_place = Plantation, Florida
death_date =
residence = Cary, North Carolina
nationality = American
other_names =
known_for = Software company, congressional campaign
education = Duke University, Duke Medical School
employer =
occupation = Entrepreneur, Chief Software Architect
title =
salary =
term =
predecessor =
successor =
party = Republican
religion = Christian
spouse = JoLynn Lawson


website = http://www.lawsonforcongress.com

William "B.J." Lawson (born March 30, 1974) is the Republican Party nominee for United States House of Representatives in North Carolina's 4th congressional district (seat currently held by David Price). He defeated Augustus Cho in the primary election on May 6, 2008, 70.5% to 29.4%.cite news |title = North Carolina State Board of Elections |publisher = "Clarity Elections" |date = 2008-05-06 |url = http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/1875/4021/en/summary.html |accessdate = 2008-05-17 ]

Background

Born in Florida, Lawson attended Lakeland Senior High School in Lakeland, Florida, where he was president of the student council.cite news |title = B.J. Lawson |work = "Raleigh News and Observer" |date = 2008-03-11 |url = http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/profiles/b_j_lawson |accessdate = 2008-04-29 ] He moved to North Carolina in 1992, where he graduated from Duke University with a degree in biomedical and electrical engineering and then from Duke Medical School in 2000.

A year into his neurosurgery residency at Duke, Lawson left to start a software company, MercuryMD, which focused on providing easier ways for physicians to access patient records through PDAs.cite news |title = Two Republicans compete to unseat Price |publisher = "The Daily Tarheel" |date = 2008-04-25 |url = http://media.www.dailytarheel.com/media/storage/paper885/news/2008/04/25/StateNational/Two-Republicans.Compete.To.Unseat.Price-3349300.shtml |accessdate = 2008-04-29 ] Lawson served as the chief software architect for MercuryMD, which grew to serve 200 hospitals and have 70 employees.cite news |title = Engineering and Entrepreneurship: From Idea to Product to Company |publisher = "Duke University Master of Engineering Management Program Seminar Series" |date = 2008-01-26 |url = http://memp.pratt.duke.edu/seminars/bios/Lawson_Seminar_1_26_2007.doc |accessdate = 2008-04-29 ] He later sold the company.

Campaign

During the campaign for the GOP 4th District nomination, Lawson has spoken about the higher cost of food and the overspending of the federal government.cite news |last = Schultz |first = Mark |title = Candidate hammers at rising food costs: GOP hopeful uses West Franklin Street restaurant to drive home economic point |work = "Chapel Hill News" |date = 2008-04-06 |url = http://www.chapelhillnews.com/front/story/13701.html |accessdate = 2008-04-29]

Lawson has also spoken in opposition to the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility proposed to be located in Butner, North Carolina. cite news
last = Wise
first = Jim
title = Republican in Durham to oppose Butner lab
work = "News and Observer" Bull's Eye blog
date = 2008-04-18
url = http://blogs.newsobserver.com/bullseye/index.php?title=republican_in_durham_to_oppose_butner_la&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
accessdate = 2008-05-17 ] Lawson states that various rare diseases, such as foot and mouth disease, classical swine fever, and Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, will be studied at the laboratory and could pose hazards for North Carolina citizens located near the facility. He claims that his general election opponent David Price is lobbying the federal government for the facility to be located in Butner cite web
last = Lawson
first = BJ
title = Just Say No to NBAF
work = "Lawson for Congress campaign blog"
date = 2008-02-19
url = http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/02/19/just-say-no-to-nbaf/
accessdate = 2008-05-17 ] . However, Price has stated that it is "premature" to render final judgment on the suitability of the Butner site before the environmental impacts are assessed, and he inserted a provision in the Department of Homeland Security's Fiscal Year 2009 budget requiring a risk analysis of studying foot and mouth disease on the U.S. mainland before work can be done on design or construction of the disease research lab. [See http://price.house.gov/issues/nbaf.shtml.]

Endorsements

On April 28, Ron Paul sent a letter to his mailing list endorsing Lawson in the 4th's Republican primary, and again on October 3 endorsing him in the general election.

Additional Endorsements:Col. Steve Acuff, (USAF, Ret.) 2006 Republican Candidate; [http://www.lawsonforcongress.com/endorsements/] Tom Roberg, 1996 Republican Candidate; [http://www.lawsonforcongress.com/endorsements/] Republican Liberty Caucus; [http://www.lawsonforcongress.com/endorsements/] Duke College Republicans; [http://www.lawsonforcongress.com/endorsements/] Grassroots North Carolina Forum-Political Victory Forum; [http://www.lawsonforcongress.com/endorsements/] Democrats for Lawson [http://www.demsforlawson.com]

References

External links

* [http://www.lawsonforcongress.com/ B.J. Lawson's 2008 Congressional campaign website]
* [http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/ Lawson's campaign blog]