Leon William Paxon (born April 29, 1954) is an American lobbyist and former member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.

At the age of 15, Paxon volunteered for the first congressional campaign of former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jack Kemp.

In the summer of 1997 several House Republicans, who saw Newt Gingrich's public image as a liability, attempted to replace him as Speaker.

However, Armey balked at the proposal to make Paxon the new Speaker, and told his chief of staff to warn Gingrich about the coup.

On July 16, Paxon offered to resign his post, feeling he had not handled the situation correctly, as the only member of the leadership who had been appointed to his position, by Gingrich, instead of elected.

[11] While in Congress, the conservative Paxon worked closely with moderate then Rep. Susan Molinari R-Staten Island, who is now a lobbyist.