Despite his success in 1950, he lost the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Vermont in 1958 to Congressman Winston L. Prouty.

He also lost the 1960 primary for Vermont's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to incumbent Governor Robert T. Stafford.

[10] (Arthur instead ran for the U.S. House and lost the Republican primary to Winston Prouty, who went on to win the general election.

)[11] As Governor, he recommended that Vermont citizens serving in the Korean War be paid a bonus by the state.

He supported studies of the feasibility of building a natural gas pipeline for Vermont and of possible racial discrimination in the state.

[13][14] In 1958, he ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate, losing the Republican nomination to Winston Prouty.

[15] In 1960, Emerson was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Vermont's seat in the United States House of Representatives, losing to incumbent Governor Robert T.