84- Progressive Miles Poindexter

The History Of The Evergreen State

The son of Josephine (Anderson) Poindexter and William B. Poindexter, Miles Poindexter was born in Memphis, Tennessee. His father served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, and they lived in Malvern Hill, Henrico County, Virginia. Poindexter was born and raised in Rockbridge County, Virginia, where he also attended the Fancy Hill Academy. He continued his education at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where he earned an LL.B. in 1891.
He afterwards relocated to Walla Walla, where he was admitted to the bar and started a law practice. The next year, Miles was appointed Walla Walla County's prosecutor. In 1897, he relocated to Spokane, where he continued to grow his legal practice. From 1898 to 1904, he was Spokane County's assistant prosecuting attorney. From 1904 to 1908, he presided as a superior court judge.
Poindexter won a seat in the US House in 1908. He was re-elected in 1910 and served one term from 1909 to 1911. Because the state legislature chose him for the U.S. Senate, he resigned before the start of his new term in March of 1911. He served from 1911 to 1923 and was re-elected in 1916. In 1912, Poindexter joined the Progressive Party, but he later switched back to the Republicans in 1915. Poindexter ran unsuccessfully in 1922 for reelection to the Senate and in 1920 for the Republican presidential nomination.
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