A Republican, he was nominated by both the Democratic Party and the Independent Party and was elected mayor of Bayonne, defeating incumbent Republican mayor John Newman in a highly contested election in 1891. Farr, who received the nomination of both the Democrats and the Republicans in 1893, easily won a second term.
A Republican, he was nominated by both the Democratic Party and the Independent Party and won the mayoral election in Bayonne in 1891, defeating incumbent Republican mayor John Newman in a close race. He was re-elected in 1893 after receiving the support of both Democrats and Republicans.