From 1877 to 1879 Washington was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. In 1886 he was elected as a Democrat to the Fiftieth United States Congress, and was re-elected to the four succeeding Congresses.
From 1877 to 1879, Washington held a position in the Tennessee House of Representatives. In 1886, he was chosen as a Democrat to serve in the Fifty-first United States Congress and was re-elected for four additional terms.