Rockingham County voters elected Garber and William Ruebush as their (part-time) representatives in the Virginia House of Delegates in 1920, the pair defeating two other men that year, but losing their re-election bid to others in 1922.

He defeated veteran Democrat Thomas W. Harrison, but lost his re-election bid in 1930 to John W. Fishburne.

After Congress, Garber served as chief of the field and processing-tax divisions at the Internal Revenue Office in Richmond, Virginia from 1931 to 1935.

When Aubrey G. Weaver died, Garber won a special election and served in the Virginia State Senate from 1945 to 1947.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress