==U.S. House of Representatives==
[[File:J. Will Taylor between 1918 and 1921.png|thumb|left|170px]]
Taylor ran for the House in the 1918 midterms, challenging incumbent Republican congressman Richard W. Austin. The latter's lack of popularity in the area led to an easy primary victory for Taylor,<ref name=knoxvillefocus/> who then handily won the general election by a landslide.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=310760 TN - District 02 Race - Nov 05, 1918]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved August 5, 2021.</ref> The second district of Tennessee has consistently been solidly Republican since the 1860s.