Politics
Packer also took an active part in politics. In 1841-1842, he was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In 1843-1848, he was county judge of Carbon County under Governor David R. Porter. He served two terms as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives beginning in 1853. Packer made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic Party's Presidential nomination in 1868. He got the party's nod for the 1869 Pennsylvania Governor's race, but lost the campaign to John W. Geary by 4,596 votes, one of the closest statewide races in Pennsylvania history.
Read more about this topic: Asa Packer
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