As a Unionist, he was elected member of the Nevada Assembly, where he represented Nye County, on November 8, 1864.
[1][2] Bearss' term started the following day and after serving in a regular session he was re-elected on November 7, 1865.
[2][3] After serving in another regular session, his second term ended in November 1866.
[2] Bearss' opponent in the 1864 election, Democrat John Booth, owned a newspaper, called The Advertiser.
In that newspaper, Booth published editorials, in which he defamed Bearss, before the election.