[5] A member of the Populist Party and then a Democrat, he was active in a movement to protect the rights of Japanese farmers in the Sacramento Valley.
Landsborough was chosen to run for the Assembly in the 22nd District,[19] and he won the November general election by 1,272 votes to 1,074 for William Lovdal, the Republican candidate.
[20][21] Just the next month, though, the news broke that Landsborough had been skimming money from men who had been summoned for jury duty while he was a deputy county clerk.
Landsborough made a full confession to the county clerk, and repaid the money, $143.50,[15] but later he was indicted by a grand jury and was charged with forgery and fraudulent conduct.
"[23] Landsborough took part in the state convention of the Democratic Party in Sacramento in September 1902,[24] and in April 1910 he ran for a seat "for trustees of the high school.