Watts was elected to parliament at the
1904 state election, replacing the retiring
George Throssell (a former
premier). He was one of a number of Labor MPs elected in previously non-Labor seats, a situation which allowed the Labor Party to form government in Western Australia for the first time. However, Watts's time in parliament was short-lived, as he was defeated by
James Mitchell (a future premier) at the early
1905 election. He recontested the seat unsuccessfully at the
1908 and
1911 elections, and in 1907 also ran for the Labor Party in a
legislative council by-election, losing to George Throssell in
East Province. ==Personal life==