Zach Payne (born February 24, 1989) is an American politician and businessman who has served in the Indiana House of Representatives from the 66th district since 2020. Payne previously served as a member of the Jeffersonville, Indiana City Council and as the Clark County, Indiana County Recorder.
Payne was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and later moved to Jeffersonville, Indiana. He attended Jeffersonville High School and graduated from New Albany High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Charter Oak State College, an MBA from the University of Southern Indiana, and a Master of Science in Communication from Purdue University
Payne was elected to the Jeffersonville City Council in 2011 at age 22. He won the general election for District 3 with 42.6% of the vote against Independent Eric Hedrick (30.7%) and Democrat Janice Sinkhorn (26.7%). He served from 2012 to 2014.
Payne was elected Clark County Recorder in 2014 and served from 2015 to 2018. He was unopposed in the Republican primary.
Payne was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2020, defeating longtime Democratic incumbent Terry Goodin. He was re-elected in 2022 and 2024. As of 2025, he serves as Vice Chair of the Elections and Apportionment Committee, and is a member of the Education, and Employment, Labor, and Pensions Committees.
Payne is considered one of the most conservative legislators in Indiana, receiving high ratings from organizations such as the Freedom Index and Indiana Scorecard. In 2024, he was endorsed by former Congressman Ron Paul and current Congressman Thomas Massie.
He has sponsored and supported legislation on school choice, income tax cuts, gun rights (including constitutional carry and red flag repeal), immigration enforcement, and government accountability.
Payne lives in Charlestown, Indiana, with his wife Callie and their child. He is the founder of a custom print and design business.