 Haskell was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions from 1952 until 1984, and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1956, defeating incumbent Democratic U.S. Representative Harris McDowell.Haskell voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.He served in the Republican minority in the 85th Congress but lost his bid for a second term in 1958 to McDowell.