In the 1960s, Meshel waged two unsuccessful campaigns for Mahoning County commissioner. He became an administrative assistant to Youngstown Mayor Anthony Flask in 1964, and served as urban renewal director in 1969. Meshel entered electoral politics in 1970, when he ran for a seat in the Ohio State Senate. In 1971, he was elected to the 33rd District of the Ohio Senate, and he was re-elected five times. Meshel became the Senate's majority whip and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.