LOWNDES COUNTY, GA — Alvin Payton Jr. has won the District 177 special election runoff in Lowndes County, according to unofficial results from the Georgia Secretary of State's office as of 9:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 9th.
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Payton received 67.21% of the vote — 369 votes — defeating former Valdosta City Councilman Eric Howard, who received 32.79%, or 180 votes.
The runoff was necessary because neither candidate received 50% plus one vote in the May special election, as required by Georgia law. Payton and Howard emerged as the top two vote-getters out of five candidates in that initial race.
The special election determines who will complete the remainder of the District 177 term left vacant after former state representative Dexter Sharper resigned amid federal fraud charges.
Earlier in the day, election officials like Lowndes County Board of Elections' Administrative Secretary Kaytlynne Hoover reported steady turnout at the polls.
"Everything's going really well. So far, we've had 70 voters today. Hopefully, we can get some more before the end of the day, but for early voting, we've already had 360 for the advanced voting for this election."
Officials noted that while turnout is typically lower in runoff elections, every vote carries added weight when deciding who will represent the community under the Gold Dome.
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