Senator Lawson was born on October 29, 1946, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the tenth of eleven children. Lawson and his siblings were raised on a farm in the Allegheny Mountains.

 

He enlisted in the United States Air Force and completed a tour of duty in Vietnam before being honorably discharged in 1969. After he retired from the Air Force, Lawson settled in Harrington, Delaware where he served as a volunteer with the Harrington Fire Company.

 

Senator Lawson began a career in law enforcement as a policeman with the Milford Police Department. He sought and received a transfer to the Delaware State Police where he became a State Trooper in 1973. He retired in 1992 and served as a Delaware State Police Range Instructor and as the Lieutenant of the Special Operations Response Team. Lawson attended Glendale Community College, Delaware Technical Community College, and the Delaware State Police Academy.

 

Following his time as a Delaware State Policeman, Senator Lawson owned and operated Shooter’s Choice, a firearm distributor in Dover, Delaware.

 

Senator Lawson was first elected in 2010 and is currently serving his fourth term.