He was the mayor of Senatobia, Mississippi, from 1887 to 1888.[1][3] He then was a member of the Mississippi State Senate, representing the state's 36th district which was composed of Union, Tippah, Benton, Marshall, and Tate counties, from 1892 to 1896.[1][3][2] From 1896 to 1900, he was a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives for Tate County.[3][2][1] He was a presidential elector in the 1900 presidential election.[3] After being re-elected in 1903, he was again a member of the Mississippi House for Tate County from 1904 to 1908.[3][1][2] From 1908 to 1912, he was again a member of the Mississippi State Senate for the 36th district.[3][1][2] He served in the Mississippi House of Representatives for Tate County a final time from 1916 to 1920.[1][2] He was again a member of the Mississippi Senate for the 36th district from 1920 to 1924.[2] He then served in the same position from 1928 to 1932.[2] East died in Mississippi in 1933.[6]