[2] In 1926 he ran and won the single Arizona State Senate seat from Navajo County.
[6] In 1932, Nelson decided to run for the Arizona House of Representatives, but was defeated in general election by incumbent Republican Charles J.
[7] In 1934, he attempted to return to the State Senate, and was in a three-way race in the Democrat primary, which included incumbent Frank M. Siegmund, who had replaced Nelson in the prior legislature.
Nelson was the winner of the primary, and then defeated the Socialist Party candidate by a 20-1 margin in the general election.
[10] He attempted one more run for the State Senate, in 1940, but lost in the Democrat primary to Lloyd Henning, 1,790 to 1,098.