Lawson earns House nod

BY PATRICK GUINANE
pguinane@nwitimes.com
317.637.9078 | Wednesday, May 07, 2008

State Rep. Linda Lawson, D-Hammond, turned away challenger Raymond Fletcher on Tuesday in the Democratic primary for House District 1.

Lawson, a former Hammond School Board member and retired city police officer, is seeking a sixth two-year term. Fletcher, a recent graduate of Indiana University Northwest, was making his first run at elected office.

Lawson will advance to a November match-up with political unknown Fernando Urzua, a Republican from Munster. Urzua did not have a primary opponent.

House District 1 covers the west side of Hammond and the northwest corner of Munster. The heavily Democratic district has been a hotbed of property tax unrest for nearly a decade.

Lawson and other incumbents are hopeful taxpayers will take comfort in a tax restructuring package approved earlier this year. It is expected to cut homeowner bills this year in Lake County by an average of 26 percent.