Thomas H. Paynter

Thomas Hanson Paynter (* December 9, 1851 in Vanceburg, Lewis County, Kentucky; † March 8, 1921 in Frankfort, Kentucky ) was an American politician (Democratic Party), who represented the state of Kentucky in both chambers of Congress.

Born on a farm near Vanceburg Paynter attended the public schools, a private school in Lewis County and Centre College in Danville. There he studied law, after which he was admitted to the bar in 1872 and commenced practice in Greenup. Between 1876 and 1882 he served as prosecutor of Greenup County.

In 1888, the Democrat Paynter was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he represented the ninth electoral district of Kentucky from March 4, 1889 to January 5, 1895. Among other things, he was there Chairman of the Committee for expenditure in the Ministry of Postal Services ( House Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department). In 1895 he resigned his seat after he was elected Judge of the Court of Appeals of Kentucky. There he remained until 1906, and then resigned to take up his position as a U.S. Senator for Kentucky.

Thomas Paynter spent one term in the Senate, from which he retired on March 3, 1913. During this time he was Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Public Service ( Committee to Examine Branches of the Civil Service ). After the end of his political career, he worked in Frankfort as a lawyer and worked in agriculture.