Steiger also made an unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate, served as a special assistant to Arizona Governor Evan Mecham, and hosted political talk shows on both radio and television.
Despite these accomplishments, Steiger is best known for two incidents: one, while he was a sitting congressman, was the 1975 killing of two burros; the second was painting a crosswalk between Prescott's courthouse and nearby Whiskey Row.
While working as a ranch hand in Springerville, he and several friends observed that Yavapai County had never elected a Republican representative.
[9] After two terms in the statehouse, in 1964, Steiger ran against incumbent George F. Senner Jr. for Arizona's 3rd district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
He was endorsed by all the newspapers within the district,[10] with the Arizona Republic saying "Sam is independent, friendly, quick-witted, very out-spoken, crazy over horses, and wears an infectious smile".
[12] Benefiting from a mid-decade reapportionment which pushed the district into a heavily Republican section of Maricopa County, near Phoenix, as well as Democratic voters defecting to other party candidates, Steiger defeated Senner on his second attempt.
During his first term he delivered a speech from the floor of the House claiming it is "an irrefutable fact of life that the elected official is regarded by those who elect him as capable of the most flagrant dishonor," and calling for a "code of ethics" which included "full disclosure of assets, liabilities, honorariums, etc., by members, their spouses, and staff members.
"[9] Steiger would later claim a number of his colleagues were frequently drunk and that "there are members of Congress you wouldn't hire to wheel a wheelbarrow.
"[15] As a result of these comments, Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, previously an Arizona congressman himself, labeled Steiger as "a bomb thrower".
[17] Additionally, the congressman won a Distinguished Service Award from Americans for Constitutional Action for his "devotion to those fundamental principles of good government which serve to promote individual rights and responsibilities, a sound dollar, a growing economy, and a desire for victory over communist aggression.
"[18] His opposition to legislation favored by conservationists earned him membership to the League of Conservation Voters's "Dirty Dozen" list.
A herd of about 150 burros had been running loose near Paulden, scaring children at bus stops and causing the Congressman to receive numerous complaints.
[21] The incident was forwarded to the county attorney's office for consideration before the burros' owner brought a pair of civil suits against Steiger.
Children picketed outside Phoenix's federal building, carrying signs reading "Steiger joins the murderers of innocent animals", and the once political tiger was re-branded "the jackass killer.
"[9] Steiger defeated Conlan in a tight race, but the effects of the primary left him severely wounded in the general election.
As Prescott Councilman Ken Bennett explained, Steiger was popular in his hometown as a "brash young congressman out in Washington telling people what to do.
[33] In 1987, Governor Evan Mecham appointed Steiger as a special assistant overseeing thirteen state agencies.
[34] Claiming he had been singled out for prosecution due to past differences with Attorney General Corbin, Steiger was found guilty of the charge on April 7, 1988, and sentenced to four years probation, a fine of US$5,500, and 700 hours of community service.
In a 3–0 ruling, the court found the law Steiger was convicted under to be "unconstitutionally vague both because it provided insufficient guidance to those who make demands on others and because it permits arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.