State Level Legislator Fact Sheet · Georgia House of Representatives · District 177
Alvin Payton Jr.
Alvin Payton Jr., a Valdosta Democrat, represents House District 177 in Lowndes County for the remainder of the current term. He served 12 years on the Valdosta City Council — ten as mayor pro tem — before leaving office in 2018, and worked as an administrator for Southwestern Bell, general manager of Payton Floor Covering and a senior administrator at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College. He holds a bachelor's from Northeastern State University and a master's and doctorate from Valdosta State University. He won the June 9, 2026 special-election runoff with 67% over Eric Howard to finish the term of Rep. Dexter Sharper, who resigned after being charged in a pandemic unemployment-benefits fraud case. A week later he lost the Democratic runoff for the full term beginning January 2027 to Elsie Napier, 59% to 41%, so his service ends in January.
Methodology. Each vote is Rep. Payton's actual position from the official Georgia roll call (legis.ga.gov), transcribed into a verified vote database and cross-checked against the published Yea/Nay totals. The chamber tally and final status (became law / died in House) are noted per bill.
Constituent Access
Town Halls
Public meetings with constituents · since June 2026
Payton took office in June 2026, during the legislative interim, for a term that ends in January.
Documented Record
- On August 26, 2026 he discussed his new role and working with the community to serve District 177 in an interview with Valdosta CEO.
- As a candidate he proposed a sports megaplex as “a third space outside of school and home,” a convention center to replace Mathis Auditorium, and mixed-use development with “affordable housing to those in need.”
- No recurring open-constituent town-hall series of his own is documented in local press or on his campaign site as of September 2026. This section will be expanded as events are documented.
Alvin Payton Jr. took office in June 2026; state legislators' constituent-event records are thin and locally reported. Corrections are welcome via the contact link below.
Sources
Campaign Finance
Campaign Finance
Who funds Rep. Payton · 2026
Top Contributors
Committee filed under Payton Jr, Alvin (2026 general election). $9,007.56 raised against $9,213.47 spent, leaving a negative cash balance of −$455.91. His largest donors are himself and members of his family.
| # | Contributor | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alvin Payton Jr. (Valdosta, GA — the representative) | $1,056.56 |
| 2 | Lynda J. Payton (Valdosta, GA) | $795.00 |
| 3 | Anthony C. Payton (Valdosta, GA) | $706.00 |
| 4 | Alvin Payton (Valdosta, GA) | $500.00 |
| 5 | Gerald C. Payton (South Fulton, GA) | $500.00 |
| 6 | Christopher A. Terrell (Hahira, GA) | $500.00 |
| 7 | Jeffery Newbern (Valdosta, GA) | $500.00 |
| 8 | Paul Steininger (Hulbert, OK) | $500.00 |
Source: The GA Files' tally of primary Georgia Ethics Commission (PeachFile) records, cycle-to-date as of September 14, 2026. Donor rows come from the commission's top-contributor summary. A negative cash balance is reported as filed. Corrections are welcome.
Sources
Verification Resources
- Georgia General Assembly — House roll-call votes
- Ballotpedia — Alvin Payton Jr.
- Georgia Ethics Commission — PeachFile (2026 campaign finance)
Vote positions are Rep. Payton's actual recorded votes from the official Georgia roll calls (legis.ga.gov), transcribed into a verified vote database and cross-checked against the published Yea/Nay totals. Campaign-finance figures are top reported contributors via Transparency USA; Georgia does not produce OpenSecrets-style sector/industry rollups, and the Georgia Ethics Commission holds the official itemized filings.