By Kat Tabor
With the special election approaching, Devon Lawson has announced his candidacy for the Lane Community College Board of Education, seeking the Zone 3 director position. Zone 3 includes Springfield and Marcola. Lawson is a current student at LCC and a member of the college’s Bond Oversight Committee.
Lawson, who is also dual-enrolled at McKenzie High School, has experience in education policy and student advocacy. He has testified on over 200 education-related bills, co-written state legislation, and led efforts to add a student seat to his high school’s board. He has worked on more than 30 political campaigns and previously served as deputy campaign manager for Jerry Rust, a fellow LCC board candidate.
Lawson was appointed to LCC’s Bond Oversight Committee by board member Austin Fölnagy. In that role, he has focused on fiscal responsibility and support for workforce training programs.
In an interview with The Torch, Lawson said his decision to run was driven by frustrations over dysfunction on the Lane Community College Board of Education. Specifically, after a board vacancy was left unfilled due to a deadlocked vote. He criticized incumbent Julie Weismann for walking out of a critical meeting during the appointment process.
“Regarding the appointment process, I think it was basically a joke. If I were on the board, I would have voted to appoint one of the candidates and then worked with Julie to draft a ballot measure to let voters decide future vacancies — but the way Julie and other members acted was completely unacceptable. You don’t walk out of a meeting because you didn’t get your way. That’s how children act, not adults.” He says.
In his press release titled “Devon Lawson Announces Campaign for Lane Community College Board of Education, Pledges to Restore Leadership After Julie Weismann’s Failed Tenure,” Lawson says, “I don’t believe in leadership that quits when things get tough. Unfortunately, Julie Weismann does.”
If elected, Lawson said he would propose a measure to let voters fill board vacancies in the future, pointing out that current policy requires the board to initiate a ballot measure to make that possible — something he noted Weismann failed to pursue.
“Our students, faculty, and community deserve better,” Lawson said. “I’m running because LCC needs board members who show up, who fight for students, and who put education ahead of personal politics.”
Lawson told The Torch that he supports finding alternative funding sources to protect Lane Community College from pressure to flatten DEI language, particularly under changing federal policy. He expressed interest in working with the board to ensure the college can continue to uphold inclusive values without risking financial penalties.
He has been endorsed by the Lane Community College Education Association and supports restoring and expanding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. His priorities include creating protections for undocumented students and establishing training for faculty in the event of an ICE presence on campus.
“My fiancé’s family is from Mexico. We’ve had to create a deportation safety plan. No student should have to go through that,” he said. “I want LCC to become a true sanctuary campus.”
Devon Lawson described a significant political shift that began with his upbringing in Oklahoma, where he said he was “raised in Trumpian values.” His first political experience came as a volunteer for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
“The first campaign I actually volunteered on was the [2016] Trump campaign, unfortunately,” Lawson said. “I then realized that was a load of crap and joined the Democratic Party.”
Lawson said he later identified as a Democratic Socialist before briefly becoming a member of the Pacific Green Party of Oregon, where he served on the party’s state central committee. He said he believed the party reflected his environmental and progressive priorities at the time.
However, he said internal divisions and what he saw as a focus on attacking Democrats rather than solving problems led him to leave the Green Party and re-register as a Democrat.
“There was a lot of just bickering and fighting within the party, and I was not here for that,” Lawson said. “So I was like, I’m just gonna join a party that I can just work in and advocate for progressive values.”
Lawson’s campaign platform includes expanding workforce training, fighting tuition increases, and increasing transparency on the board. He also supports exploring public banking options to improve long-term funding for community colleges.
Lawson has the support of Lane Community College Education Association, State Representative John Lively, State Representative Rob Nosse, Multnomah Education Service District Board Member Danny Cage and Working Families Party of Oregon.
At the time of publishing, candidates who have filed for the Lane Community College Board of Education election include Jeffrey Cooper and Jerry Rust for Director Zone 1, Julie Weismann and Devon Lawson for Zone 3, Richard Andrew Vasquez and Austin Fölnagy for Zone 4, and Jesse Alejandro Maldonado for At-Large Position 7 (2-Year Unexpired Term). The deadline to file or withdraw has passed on March 20.
The deadline for new voter registration is April 29. For more information on Lane County’s special elections, visit LaneCounty.org. Voters can check their registration status at SOS.oregon.gov.
The Torch will cover the candidates throughout the election process. If you would like to share information or be featured, please email kattabor.journalism@gmail.com.
