[4][5][6] In 1893, Robert Grant resigned his position on the Boston Water Board and McNary was appointed to fill the vacancy in July.

[7] In 1892, McNary secured the Democratic nomination for Massachusetts's 10th congressional district, centered on the heavily Irish Catholic industrial neighborhoods of South Boston, Roxbury, and Dorchester.

However, State Senator Michael McEttrick, running as an independent Democrat, won the race in a three-way contest against McNary and Republican Harrison Atwood.

[8] In 1894, McNary again was secured the Democratic Party nomination to challenge McEttrick, but Atwood was the victor in another three-way contest.

[10] With the nomination secure, McNary won an easy victory over Republican William W. Towle by a plurality of 6,195 votes.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress