Editing Asa Packer (section)

==Politics==
Packer also took an active part in politics. In 1842 and 1843, he was a member of the [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives]]. In 1843 and 1844, he was county judge in [[Carbon County, Pennsylvania|Carbon County]] under Governor [[David R. Porter]]. 

=== Congress ===
He served two terms as a Democratic member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] beginning in 1853.<ref name="EB1911"/> 

=== 1868 Democratic Convention ===
[[George Washington Woodward]] at the [[1868 Democratic National Convention]] entered Packer's name as a candidate for President as a [[Favorite son]] despite himself not being present or actively campaigning. Packer earned a nearly consistent 26 delegates through the 14th round of the ballot and due to him being little known outside of Pennsylvania, with the statement from one delegate; "Who in the hell is Packer?" being used as the headline for many New York journalists, who started to see Packer as an unoffensive moderate candidate that could increase the Democratic party's electability.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Whelan |first1=Frank |title=History's Headlines: Asa Packer, politician |url=https://www.wfmz.com/features/historys-headlines/historys-headlines-asa-packer-politician/article_b8769c99-20a1-5b9b-a72d-01bab8f7872a.html |website=[[WFMZ-TV]] |access-date=4 November 2023}}</ref> However, the convention instead went with [[Horatio Seymour]], for largely the same reason but also due to Seymour's name recognition. Interestingly, Woodward attempted to forge a Packer - Blair ticket, however, [[Francis Preston Blair Jr.]] was instead named Seymour's running-mate.<ref>{{cite web |title=President Packer? |url=https://scalar.lehigh.edu/asa-packer/president-packer |website=scalar.lehigh.edu |publisher=[[Lehigh University]] |access-date=4 November 2023}}</ref> Packer made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic Party's Presidential nomination in 1868.  

=== Campaign for governor ===
He got the party's nod for the 1869 Pennsylvania Governor's race, but lost the campaign to [[John W. Geary]] by 4,596 votes, one of the closest statewide races in Pennsylvania history.