He was a candidate for Massachusetts Attorney General in 1956, but lost to Edward J. McCormack Jr. in the Democratic primary.

Ward was appointed Secretary of the Commonwealth following the death of Edward J. Cronin.

He defeated Endicott Peabody, Francis E. Kelly, Robert F. Murphy, John Francis Kennedy, Gabriel Piemonte, and Alfred Magaletta in the primary, but lost to John A. Volpe in the general election.

He was elected to the Massachusetts Senate in 1962 and remained there until his retirement from politics in 1972.

[3] Ward also spent 12 years as a professor of political law at Boston University.