Thomas was elected from North Carolina's 2nd congressional district as a Republican to the Forty-second and Forty-third Congresses (March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1875).
Thomas was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for North Carolina's 2nd congressional district and served during the Forty-second and Forty-third Congresses as a Republican. His term began in 1871 and ended in 1875.