|preceded=Richard W. Austin
|former=y
|succeeded=[[John Jennings, Jr.]]
}}
}}
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.
[[File:J. Will Taylor bioguide picture.jpg|thumb|right]]
Popular among constituents, Taylor dominated state GOP politics during the 1920s, when Republican-held presidencies caused all federal patronage in Tennessee to run through him.<ref name=knoxvillefocus/> He was accused of corruption by opponents who even tried to indict him via a grand jury, though such attempts failed to succeed.
Like his GOP colleague [[B. Carroll Reece]] from the 1st congressional district, Taylor was largely pro-[[civil rights]] and supportive of [[anti-lynching legislation]], voting for the Dyer bill in 1922<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/67-2/h169 TO PASS H. R. 13.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved August 5, 2021.</ref> following the St. Louis race riots as well as the 1937 Gavagan-Wagner bill.<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/75-1/h27 TO PASS H. R. 1507, AN ANTI-LYNCHING BILL.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved August 5, 2021.</ref>
[[File:J. Will Taylor bioguide picture.jpg|thumb|right]]
The landslide election of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] in the [[United States presidential election, 1932|1932 presidential election]] ended most of Taylor's political influence, namely patronage.<ref name=knoxvillefocus/> He faced a strong challenge in his 1936 re-election bid from [[Democrat]] John T. O'Connor, and only won by two percentage points.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=310769 TN - District 02 Race - Nov 03, 1936]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved August 5, 2021.</ref>
===Death in office===
Although considered healthy,<ref name=knoxfocusmysterypart1>Hill, Ray (August 26, 2018). [https://knoxfocus.com/archives/this-weeks-focus/mystery-j-will-taylors-death/ The Mystery After J. Will Taylor’s Death, I]. ''The Knoxville Focus''. Retrieved August 5, 2021.</ref> Taylor suffered a [[heart attack]] in mid-November 1939 and died while in office at the age of fifty-nine,<ref name=knoxvillefocus/> resulting in an outpouring of grief from shocked constituents whom he was beloved among.<ref name=knoxfocusmysterypart1/> Controversy also emerged afterwards, with reports of his federal office building being ransacked. Although his older daughter Elizabeth managed to recover some personal papers, others were taken away and privately kept by his youngest daughter Katheryne. At the same time, a number of Republicans considered running for the seat to succeed Taylor.<ref name=knoxvillefocus/> These included [[John Jennings, Jr.]], [[Howard Baker, Sr.]], and his daughter Elizabeth, who asserted support and encouragement for her potential candidacy as having been:
{{cquote|...a great tribute to my Daddy for his friends to want me to fill out his unexpired term in Congress.}}