Emmerson entered politics in 1912, pursuing the position of state treasurer but was unsuccessful. However, four years later, he won the election for secretary of state which he held for twelve years.
Governor Emmerson won the 1928 Republican gubernatorial nomination by a margin of 63% to 37% over the incumbent governor, the corrupt
Len Small, and was sworn into the governorship on January 14, 1929. He was the oldest Illinois Governor at that time at age 65. During his service from 1929 to 1933, at the start of the
Great Depression, legislation was adopted that eased penalties on overdue taxes and allowed for the issuance of emergency bonds. Also, a motor fuel-tax was instituted and used for improvements in the highway system, the first unemployment commission was initiated, and federal grants were sanctioned for the completion of the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Waterway. Emmerson did not seek reelection and left office on January 9, 1933, retiring from politics. == Later life ==