[1] In 1907, Talbot received his first political appointment when Mayor John T. Coughlin named him to the Fall River park commission.

[1] In 1913, Talbot ran for the Democratic nomination for the Massachusetts House of Representatives seat in the 6th Bristol District, but lost by 142 votes.

[1] During his year in the legislature, Talbot served on the committee labor, proposed refunding $1 million in tax revenue to the state's manufactures, and strongly advocated municipal home rule, especially in regards to appointive power of police and licensing commissions.

The Democrats won a 19 to 8 majority of the board of alderman, which gave the party control of the city for the first time in Fall River's history.

[4] Dooley ended up winning the primary, but refused the nomination as did Ely, who believed the means to be an embarrassment.

Party leadership hoped that Talbot would help the ticket attract votes from the state's 75,000 to 80,000 French-speaking residents, 75% of which were believed to be Republican supporters.

[7] Talbot did not receive as large of a vote as expected and there was no evidence that he had been able to bring any French-Canadian voters to the Democratic ticket.

[10] On February 4, 1931, Governor Joseph B. Ely appointed Talbot to succeed the deceased Isaac P. L. Willetts as sheriff of Bristol County.

[12] In 1934, Fall River switched back to a Plan A form of government and Talbot once again ran for mayor.

[13] In 1944, Talbot was the Democratic nominee for the United States House of Representatives seat in Massachusetts's 14th congressional district.