In 1821, Hall was elected to the Tennessee Senate. In 1827, he was chosen as speaker of the senate. In April 1829, Sam Houston resigned the governorship following a personal scandal. As Speaker of the Senate, Hall was the first in the line of succession, and thus became governor on April 16. He did not seek reelection, however, and Houston's predecessor, William Carroll, was elected without opposition a few months later. During his brief time in office, Hall continued with the reform plans that Carroll and Houston had started.