 Nyorera kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Pakutanga Democrat uye gare gare Whig, Gorham akanga ari mumwe wevakatanga bato reRepublican parakarongwa pakati pema1850. Muna 1855 akagadzwa kuva Major General uye mutungamiri weimwe yemapoka matatu mumasoja ehurumende, uye muna 1859 akasarudzwa kwenguva imwe chete muMichigan State Senate. Gorham akashandisa nzvimbo dzose dziri mbiri kunyorera, kudzidzisa, uye kurongazve mauto achitarisira Hondo yeVanhu. Akanga ari Mumiririri kuRepublican National Conventions ya1864 na1868, uye akashanda semutungamiri wezvematongerwo enyika kubva kuMichigan muna 1868, achivhotera tikiti raUlysses S. Grant naSchuyler Colfax. 