John Sandlin was born near Minden, Webster Parish, Louisiana on February 24, 1872. He attended the public schools and went on to study law. He was admitted to the bar in 1896 and commenced practice in Minden.

He served as prosecuting attorney for the second district of Louisiana from 1904 to 1910, then became a judge of the Second Judicial District of Louisiana from 1910 to 1920.

He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson was re-nominated for a second term. In 1918, Sandin challenged incumbent Democratic Congressman John T. Watkins in the Democratic primary election, but lost a close race.^[1] In 1920, he again ran for Watkins’ seat in the United States House of Representatives. He won election to the 67th Congress and was subsequently re-elected to the seven succeeding Congresses, serving in the House from March 4, 1921, to January 3, 1937.

He was not a candidate for renomination in 1936, choosing instead to run an unsuccessful campaign for nomination to the United States Senator.

He returned to Minden and engaged once again in the practice of law.

He died in Minden on December 25, 1957, and was interred in Minden Cemetery.

  This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress