Shortly after his election, Willard traveled to a Mississippi governors' meeting where he openly voiced his support for state-rights, southern slavery, and the Fugitive Slave Law. His statements caused an uproar in Indiana among his adversaries. Willard's term was marked with severe partisanship and in-fighting in the Democratic Party. The Know-Nothing Party fell apart during the first two years of his term, but was replaced by the strengthening Republican Party, which absorbed most its members. The divisive atmosphere left the General Assembly in deadlock for most of his term, leading him to call the first special session of the body in state history, because the parties could not agree on the terms of a budget.