He was a member of the Kentucky Senate from 1857 to 1865, was a delegate to both of the Democratic National Conventions in 1860 and was an unsuccessful candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1863, losing to Richard T. Jacob. Read was again a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1864, was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1867 to 1869 and was elected a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives in 1870, serving from 1871 to 1875, being unsuccessful for renomination in 1874.
He was a Kentucky state senator from 1857 to 1865, participated in two Democratic National Conventions in 1860 and ran for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1863 but lost. He later returned to politics, serving as a delegate at the 1864 convention, holding office in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1867 to 1869, and being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1870, where he served until 1875 before failing to secure his re-election in 1874.