The representative from the Seventh District of Georgia, where Clements resided, was William Harrell Felton, an independent. Clements and his five brothers lived in six different counties of the Seventh District, and Felton found himself faced with local issues from six different counties. However, the campaign was non-confrontational and was described as one of the quietest ever known. Clements' surprising win over Felton by 800 votes was attributed to overconfidence by Felton, hard work by Clements, and the Republican vote voting solidly for Clements. Clements' brothers would keep his political "fences in good repair", assuring his renomination in subsequent years. Clements was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-seventh and to the four succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1891). While in Congress, he helped write the legislation which authorized the Interstate Commerce Commission.