Thereafter, he was a prosecuting attorney in his native Hot Spring County and a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1973 to 1977.

Elected Secretary of State in 1976, he vacated the office after one term, describing it as "a glorified janitor's job."

Bryant led the five-man primary, but lost in a runoff to Union County Prosecuting Attorney Beryl Anthony Jr.

Bryant triumphed in the ordinarily heavily Republican year by a margin of 80–20% over his GOP opponent, Dan Ivy, a controversial attorney and former Democrat.

He placed second in the initial balloting, and lost the run-off to former Representative Blanche Lincoln who went on to defeat Republican state Senator Fay Boozman in the general election.