Preston was born in Harford County, Maryland in 1860. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1890 to 1894. He briefly served as Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates in 1894. Preston then served as the Mayor of Baltimore from 1911 to 1919. In 1912, he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. While there, he received a few votes for the vice presidential nomination. He served as the 32nd President General of the Sons of the American Revolution. Preston died on July 14, 1938.