Chandler was born in Corydon, Kentucky. He was graduated from the University of Kentucky Law School.
Chandler served in the state senate of Kentucky in 1929. He served as governor from 1935 to 1939, he resigned that office to be appointed US Senator in 1939, he was than elected to the Senate in 1940 to fill out the term and he was re-elected in 1942. He served as governor of Kentucky again from 1955 to 1959. He was a member of the Democratic Party.
He resigned from the Senate to become Commissioner of Baseball in 1945 and remained in that post to 1951.