He left school after sixth grade, but at age eighteen, he decided to continue his education and graduated from Portland Commercial College.

He moved east to Bannock County and served as mayor of Pocatello from 1922 to 1930, and won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1928.

Although Ross nearly tripled the Democratic vote total of his predecessor Asher Wilson, thanks to the recent demise of the Idaho Progressive Party, he was defeated by the Republican incumbent H. C. Baldridge.

A driver's license law was instituted and legislation was initiated which would make liquor sales regulated through state distributors.

Ross ran for governor a fifth time in 1938, defeating incumbent Barzilla Clark in the primary, but lost to state Republican Party chairman C. A. Bottolfsen in the general election.