John Esten Miles (July 28, 1884 – October 7, 1971) was an American politician who served as the 12th governor of the state of New Mexico.

He attended the common schools of Tennessee, but left home at the age of seventeen.

This was partially because the New Mexico Democratic Party was having a dispute at the time between those who supported Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and those who opposed it.

[1] Finally, in 1948, the Democratic Party figured Miles would be an easy shot to take out Georgia Lee Lusk in a primary for her Congressional seat.

He just barely edged out Lusk, and only served one term as a Congressman (1949–1951) before retiring from public life.