was not chosen as an elector. In 1838, the Maryland Senate was reformed to allow for districts and direct election. Stewart, now identified with the Whig Party, was elected to represent the city of Baltimore in 1838 and 1839. Stewart sometimes represented slaves who sought manumission by self-purchase; this representation usually required him to negotiate terms of sale with the owners. He also advocated for African Americans to be relocated to Africa as part of the colonization movement that was active in the United States in the early to mid 1800s, and was a member of Baltimore's delegation to the June 1841 state colonization convention. In 1840, Stewart campaigned for the Whig presidential ticket of William Henry Harrison and John Tyler, and was a featured speaker at a campaign rally sponsored by one of Baltimore's Tippecanoe clubs. Continued career By 1844, Stewart had left the Whigs for the Democratic Party. In 1845, he was a member of the committee Baltimore's Democrats formed to arrange civic honors to commemorate the death of Andrew Jackson. In May 1846, Stewart took part in public meetings intended to demonstrate popular support for U.S. participation in the Mexican–American War. In June 1846, Stewart was elected second vice president of the Baltimore City Democratic Convention. In August of that year he was a vice president of the Baltimore Democratic Party meeting that passed resolutions commending Vice President George M. Dallas for voting to repeal the Tariff of 1842 and requesting that a delegation be permitted to call on him when he next visited Baltimore so they could express their appreciation in person. In early 1848, Stewart was one of the managers of a Baltimore Democratic Party ball held to celebrate American success in the war with Mexico. In mid to late 1848, he was one of the prominent Democrats who organized the Baltimore campaign for the presidential ticket of Lewis Cass and William O. Butler. Stewart was also active in civic causes; In May 1848, he was one of the leaders of a mass public meeting held to plan and implement relief efforts for victims of a recent fire that had destroyed 60 Baltimore homes and several commercial buildings. In August 1848, was named a vice president of Baltimore's Friends of Ireland, an organization created to provide aid to the Irish people during the famine of 1845 to 1852. In June and July 1849, Stewart was