Ingham County Democrat, gun violence victim remembered at capitol memorial
Lawson, 63, was well-known in political circles and had worked on many election campaigns for Democrats before he was shot and killed in on Oct. 8, 2023, while campaigning for a Lansing City Council candidate.
Lawson's family and friends held a memorial on the capitol steps, which kicked off what was expected to be a day with more speeches and plenty of protest signs.
Following the Lawson memorial, a No Kings rally, one of more than a thousand planned across the country, began to protest President Donald Trump's policies and the recent military response to ICE protests in Los Angeles, California.
More: Tireless advocate for voting rights killed while out canvassing for Lansing candidate
State Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, told the crowd that she woke up Saturday morning thinking about her friend Ted Lawson, once a member of Ingham County's Board of Canvassers and secretary for the Ingham County Democratic Party,
"If you knew Ted, if you happened to share space with this amazing activist and volunteer and mentor, you know that Ted would have been here with us today," she said. "He would have been organizing. He would have been passing out water, making sure that chairs were here.
"He would have made sure that he greeted you with a smile and a directive and the next step after the gathering here today."
Other speakers included Brian Jackson, chair of the Ingham County Democratic Party, Barb Byrum, the Ingham County clerk who is running for Michigan Secretary of State, and representatives from voting rights and gun violence awareness organizations.
Katie See, of the Michigan chapter of Michigan chapter of Moms Demand Action, pointed out to the crowd that June is gun violence awareness month.
"Please do whatever you can in the wake of this gathering," she said. "Find a way to join in our efforts to advocate, to educate, to support survivors, to press for reform of the gun industry and to create the peaceful democracy that Ted Lawson embodied."
Lawson was a Cub Scout in elementary school and worked for a state congressional candidate while in high school, his family has said. Lawson served in the Marine Corps and worked for the Meijer store chain for decades, becoming active in his union and Democratic Party politics.
Police and prosecutors have said his shooting death was a robbery gone wrong and wasn't connected to Lawson's political activities or beliefs.
Days after his death, Lamar Kemp, who was 15 at the time, was arraigned on murder and weapons charges. He later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and in 2024 was sentenced to 35 to 70 years in prison. Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane decided to charge Kemp as an adult, citing the nature of the offense and Kemp's prior record in the juvenile system.
Contact reporter Matt Mencarini at mjmencarini@lsj.com.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Ted Lawson, Ingham County Democratic activist, honored with captiol memorial
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