George L. Walton

{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} '''George L. Walton''' (1850–1941) was the president of the [[Louisiana State Senate]] and acting [[lieutenant governor of Louisiana]] from 1881 to 1884 serving under Governor [[Samuel D. McEnery]].

During the [[American Civil War]], Walton served as the captain of Company E of the 16th and 25th Consolidated Regiments of Louisiana Infantry from January 8, 1864, until the end of the war in the spring of 1865. He served as [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]] state senator representing [[Concordia Parish]] from 1880 to 1884.

When Governor [[Louis A. Wiltz]] died in 1881, Lieutenant Governor [[Samuel D. McEnery]] assumed the governorship and [[President of the Louisiana State Senate#President pro tempore|Senate President pro tempore]] [[W.A. Robertson|William Robertson]] became the acting lieutenant governor. Robertson was removed as president pro tempore of the Senate and acting lieutenant governor by a vote of that body on December 24, 1881. He was replaced by Walton.<ref>{{cite journal | title = The Louisiana Senate| journal = [[The New York Times]] | date = December 25, 1881 | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1881/12/25/103612044.pdf | access-date = May 2, 2009 }}</ref> who served out the remainder of McEnery's term.

In 1884, Walton announced his support for [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] presidential candidate [[James G. Blaine]] and switched parties. He was then nominated for an [[at-large]] congressional seat on the Republican ticket.<ref>{{cite journal | title=Blaine's chances in Louisiana | journal = The New York Times | date = September 25, 1884 | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1884/09/25/109777871.pdf | access-date = May 4, 2009 }}</ref> He also ran for Congress for the [[Louisiana's 5th congressional district]] on the [[United States Greenback Party|Greenback-Labor]] ticket that same year.<ref>{{cite journal | title=Parties in Louisiana | journal = The New York Times | date = September 23, 1884 | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1884/09/23/106158392.pdf | access-date =May 4, 2009 }}</ref> Walton was unsuccessful in both contests.

Walton married Amanda Miller in 1855.<ref>{{cite web | title= Concordia Marriages | url=http://genealogytrails.com/lou/concordia/concordia_parish_marriage.html | access-date= May 5, 2009}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|2}}

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box |title=[[List of Lieutenant Governors of Louisiana|Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana]]<br/>George L. Walton (D)<br> (''Acting'')| before=[[W.A. Robertson|William A. Robertson (D)]] (''Acting'')| after=[[Clay Knobloch|Clay Knobloch (D)]] | years=December 24, 1881–1884}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walton, George L.}} [[Category:Lieutenant governors of Louisiana]] [[Category:Louisiana Democrats]] [[Category:Louisiana Greenbacks]] [[Category:Louisiana Republicans]] [[Category:1850 births]] [[Category:1941 deaths]]