He faced Arnold Scott, Nelson P. Brown, Melvin M. Johnson, and James G. Hill for the Republican nomination.

[8] In 1909, Higgins and his assistants secured the conviction of Chester S. Jordan, a vaudeville performer and the brother-in-law of Jesse Livermore, for the murder of his wife.

[11] The case was appealed all the way to the United States Supreme Court, which ruled on May 27, 1912, that "White was of sufficient mental capacity during the entire trial of Chester S. Jordan until after the verdict was returned, to intelligently consider the evidence, appreciate the arguments of counsel, the rulings of law, the charge of the court, and to arrive at a rational conclusion".

[13] In 1909, Higgins office prosecuted Hattie Le Blanc, a 16-year-old Acadian maid from West Arichat, Nova Scotia, for the murder of her employer, Clarence F. Glover.

[14][15] In 1913, Higgins was upset in his bid for reelection by Democrat William J. Corcoran, who won a three-way contest that also included Progressive candidate Philip M.