In 1985, Traylor was elected to the 5th Judicial District Court, which encompasses in Franklin, Richland, and West Carroll parishes. He remained a district judge until January 1, 1997, after his election in 1996 to the Louisiana Supreme Court, Place 4.<ref name=bio/>
===Louisiana Supreme Court===
In the nonpartisan blanket primary held on September 21, 1996, Traylor as a Republican unseated the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Joe Bleich of [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] to win a ten-year term on state Supreme Court. Traylor polled 60,484 votes (53 percent) to Bleich's 53,098 (47 percent). Bleich, a former state representative, had served on the court since 1983.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, September 21, 1996.</ref>
In 2008, Traylor wrote a unanimous court opinion that upheld the constitutionality of two state laws giving homeowners until the fall of 2007 to file lawsuits or claims against their [[insurance]] companies over damage from [[Hurricane Katrina|Hurricanes Katrina]] and Rita. The court noted that the extension was for one year and was limited to those two storms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pianet.com/IssuesOfFocus/HotIssues/naturaldisaster/8-30-06-7.htm|title=National Association of Professional Insurance Agents|publisher=pianet.com|accessdate=July 10, 2010}}</ref>
==2010 U.S. Senate racecampaign==
After the death of his wife Peggy, Traylor relocated from Winnsboro to Monroe to pursue opportunities in the private practice of law. On the last day of qualifying, Traylor announced his challenge to Senator Vitter, who subsequently defeated [[U.S. Representative]] [[Charlie Melancon]] of Napoleonville in thegeneral election held on November 2, 2010. Meanwhile, state Representative Ernest Wooton, a registered Republican from 2005–2010 and a resident of Belle Chase, re-registered to run as an [[Independent]] for the Senate in the general election but received little support. A former [[sheriff]], Wooton pledged to conduct a low-budget campaign from a motor home.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/20100715192926/http://www.thenewsstar.com:80/article/20100710/NEWS01/7100335/Monroe-s-Traylor-to-challenge-Vitter
|title=Monroe's Traylor to challenge Vitter|publisher=''Monroe News- Star''|date= July 10, 2010}}</ref>