Political Career
After serving on the Arlington City Council, in 1926 he was elected to the first of four consecutive terms in the Oregon House of Representatives, his final term as Speaker. In the 1942 elections, in which Democrats in Oregon made considerable inroads, he successfully sought election as Oregon Secretary of State, resigning as Speaker to serve in that office from 1935 to 1943.
Prevented by a term limit from seeking another term as Secretary of State, Snell decided to challenge his own party's incumbent Gov. Charles A. Sprague in the Republican primary. He received strong support from the state automobile dealers association, and not only gained the nomination, but went on to be elected Governor with 78 percent of the vote, taking office on January 11, 1943.
Generally recognized as a moderate, Snell's administration was marked by conservationist measures, public works projects and relief programs in line with the federal New Deal programs, and initiatives designed to promote agricultural, timber and industrial interests with a view to expanding Oregon's economy. He overwhelmingly won reelection in 1946, by a margin of more than two to one, but died in office the next year.
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