Hughes then moved to the North-West Territories as an employee of Kew Stobart and Co. and worked in Nelson River from 1873 to 1874 and in The Pas in 1875.
In 1876, Stobard retired from Duck Lake and Hughes was appointed head of their fur trade business.
He defeated candidate Andrew Porter by eight votes to win the Lorne electoral district and his first term in office.
[3] Hughes ran for re-election in the Prince Albert electoral district in the 1888 North-West Territories general election.
He was defeated by William Plaxton and John Felton Betts finishing third place in a field of three candidates.