[6] In 1896, when the first election was held, Willis was nominated by the Republicans to serve on the board of supervisors of the new county.
[8] In November 1897, Willis resigned from the board of supervisors in order to go on his two-year LDS mission to the Southern States.
[11] In the November general election he came in second, slightly in front of Democrat John Hunt, 259–254, giving him one of the two supervisor positions.
[14] In 1908 he won the Republican nomination to run for the territorial house of representatives, but lost in the general election to Democrat Joseph Peterson, 445–238.
[17] Unlike the 1908 election, Willis defeated his Democratic opponent, William Morgan, 398–327.