He first gained election in 1973 to Larne Borough Council upon its creation. He was one of the longest-serving councillors on Larne Borough Council; like the Ulster Unionist Party's Roy Beggs, he served continuously since the council was formed in 1973, until his death. Resigning from the DUP in 2007 at protest at the DUP's decision to enter government with Sinn Féin, he joined the TUV. This act from the DUP made him "sick to his stomach". Every council election he ran in the Larne Lough electoral district. He was also elected to the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996 and the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1982.