Born in New Concord, Ohio, Stewart attended public schools and graduated from Geneva College (in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania) in 1911.

In early 1926, Stewart became active in the campaign to re-elect longtime Iowa Republican Senator Albert B.

Only the Republicans chose to nominate a candidate in the November 1926 election to serve out the final four months in Cummins's unexpired term, because Democrats concentrated their efforts on an unsuccessful effort to defeat Brookhart's candidacy for the next full term.

[2] That same day, Governor John Hammill appointed Stewart to fill Cummins's seat from August until the November election.

[2] Stewart was elected November 2, 1926 and served until Cummins's unexpired term ended on March 3, 1927.