He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1922 to 1935 as a member of the Progressive Party, and was a cabinet minister in the government of John Bracken.
[1] McLeod was born in Glen Huron, Ontario, and was educated at Collingwood Collegiate Institute.
McLeod served a councillor and reeve in the municipality of Albert, and was active in various farming organizations.
[2] He first campaigned for the Manitoba legislature in the provincial election of 1920, when he lost by ten votes to Liberal incumbent John Williams in the rural southwestern constituency of Arthur.
The United Farmers won an unexpected majority in this election, and formed government as the Progressive Party.