Dow ran for the Manitoba legislature in the 1958 provincial election, but lost to Progressive Conservative incumbent Errick French Willis[2] by over 1,000 votes in the southern riding of Turtle Mountain.
He did not run in the 1959 election, but took the Turtle Mountain seat in a by-election on November 26, 1959, following Willis's resignation to accept the office of Lieutenant Governor.
[1] This by-election occurred at a time when the Progressive Conservative Party was dominant both federally and provincially, and Dow was only able to defeat his PC opponent Robert Cawston Aitkens by 106 votes.
The Progressive Conservative Party won a second consecutive majority government in the 1962 provincial election, and Dow lost to PC candidate Peter I. McDonald[1] by over 800 votes.
On March 4, Dow narrowly defeated PC challenger Allan Rose to capture the seat a third time.