After the war Pinchback stayed in Louisiana, where he became a Republican politician during the Reconstruction era. He served briefly as governor of Louisiana, the first African American to serve as governor of any U.S. state. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in 1872 and 1873, respectively, but lost challenges to his seats by Democrats in Congress. In 1891-1892, white Democrats had regained control of the Louisiana legislature and were imposing Jim Crow laws; the Pinchbacks left the state and moved to Washington, D.C., where they easily became part of the elite class of people of color. P. B. S. Pinchback was suspicious of Nathan Toomer and strongly opposed his daughter's choice for marriage, but ultimately acquiesced in her choice.