His political career began when he was elected as Comptroller of South Carolina in 1890, serving until 1892. In the 1896 gubernatorial election, he won the Democratic primary and convincingly won in the general election to become the 86th governor of South Carolina. He sought reelection two years later in the 1898 gubernatorial election and was unopposed in his bid. However, he died on June 2, 1899 before he was able to finish his second term as governor and was buried in Marion.
