He was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1932, defeating Republican incumbent John Thomas of Gooding.

In 1938, he was defeated for renomination in the Democratic primary by Congressman D. Worth Clark of Pocatello,[2][3][4] who went on to win the general election.

[4] In 1939, Pope was appointed a director of the Tennessee Valley Authority by President Roosevelt and served in that capacity until 1951.

[8] He and his wife, Pauline Ruth Horn Pope (1887–1957),[9] are buried in Lynnhurst Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee.

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