Taylor was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1874, and served one term.
Among his initiatives was the creation of Unicoi County in 1875.
 He would later refer to the county as, "my baby."
Taylor served as an elector for Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, and would serve as an elector in the three subsequent presidential campaigns.

In 1878, Taylor sought his party's nomination for the 1st district congressional seat held by Augustus Pettibone.
Although Taylor had popular support, Pettibone managed to win the nomination at the party's convention, angering Taylor's supporters.
Taylor's brother, Robert (a Democrat), ran against Pettibone in the general election, and with the support of both Democrats and his brother's disgruntled supporters, captured the seat.
He was defeated for reelection by Pettibone after just one term, however.

In Tennessee's 1886 gubernatorial race, Republicans, hoping to exploit divisions within the Democratic Party, nominated Alfred Taylor as their candidate.
 Democrats nominated his brother, Robert, believing him the best person to unite the party and counter Alfred's popular appeal.
The brothers canvassed the state together, drawing large crowds, and engaging in light-hearted political debate and playing fiddles while the crowd danced.
At a stop in Madisonville, Robert stated that he and Alfred were both roses, though he was a white rose while Alfred was a red rose.
When their respective supporters wore white and red roses, the contest became known as the "War of the Roses" (the name also hearkened to the 15th-century English conflict).
On election day, Robert won by about 16,000 votes.

The 1886 campaign boosted Alfred Taylor's popularity.
In 1888, he successfully ran for the 1st district congressional seat, defeating Democrat David P. Wilcox by 7,000 votes.
He was reelected in 1890, edging Roderick R. Butler (who ran as an independent) by less than a thousand votes.
He was reelected to a third term in 1892.
During his congressional tenure, Taylor supported the McKinley Tariff, a protectionist measure that raised tariffs on imports by 50%.
He also supported the Lodge Bill, which would have provided protections for black voters in the South.

After leaving Congress, Taylor joined his brother, Robert, on the lecture circuit.
They cowrote and presented a popular lecture entitled "Yankee Doodle and Dixie."
The tour was a major financial success, netting the brothers tens of thousands of dollars.

In 1906, Taylor ran as an independent for the 1st district seat against state Republican Party boss, Walter P. Brownlow, but was defeated by a substantial margin.
In 1910, Taylor sought the Republican nomination for governor, but was defeated by Ben W. Hooper.
Hooper then proceeded to defeat Alfred's brother, Robert, in the general election.
Taylor was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1874, and served one term. Among his initiatives was the creation of Unicoi County in 1875.  He would later refer to the county as, "my baby." Taylor served as an elector for Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, and would serve as an elector in the three subsequent presidential campaigns.
In 1878, Taylor sought his party's nomination for the 1st district congressional seat held by Augustus Pettibone. Although Taylor had popular support, Pettibone managed to win the nomination at the party's convention, angering Taylor's supporters. Taylor's brother, Robert (a Democrat), ran against Pettibone in the general election, and with the support of both Democrats and his brother's disgruntled supporters, captured the seat. He was defeated for reelection by Pettibone after just one term, however.
In Tennessee's 1886 gubernatorial race, Republicans, hoping to exploit divisions within the Democratic Party, nominated Alfred Taylor as their candidate.  Democrats nominated his brother, Robert, believing him the best person to unite the party and counter Alfred's popular appeal. The brothers canvassed the state together, drawing large crowds, and engaging in light-hearted political debate and playing fiddles while the crowd danced. At a stop in Madisonville, Robert stated that he and Alfred were both roses, though he was a white rose while Alfred was a red rose. When their respective supporters wore white and red roses, the contest became known as the "War of the Roses" (the name also hearkened to the 15th-century English conflict). On election day, Robert won by about 16,000 votes.
The 1886 campaign boosted Alfred Taylor's popularity. In 1888, he successfully ran for the 1st district congressional seat, defeating Democrat David P. Wilcox by 7,000 votes. He was reelected in 1890, edging Roderick R. Butler (who ran as an independent) by less than a thousand votes. He was reelected to a third term in 1892. During his congressional tenure, Taylor supported the McKinley Tariff, a protectionist measure that raised tariffs on imports by 50%. He also supported the Lodge Bill, which would have provided protections for black voters in the South.
After leaving Congress, Taylor joined his brother, Robert, on the lecture circuit. They cowrote and presented a popular lecture entitled "Yankee Doodle and Dixie." The tour was a major financial success, netting the brothers tens of thousands of dollars.
In 1906, Taylor ran as an independent for the 1st district seat against state Republican Party boss, Walter P. Brownlow, but was defeated by a substantial margin. In 1910, Taylor sought the Republican nomination for governor, but was defeated by Ben W. Hooper. Hooper then proceeded to defeat Alfred's brother, Robert, in the general election.
Alfred A. Taylor