 While serving in the army in early 1862 , Garfield was approached by friends about running for Congress from Ohio 's newly redrawn , heavily Republican 19th district . He was worried that he and other state @-@ appointed generals would get obscure assignments , and running for Congress would allow him to resume his political career . The fact that the new Congress would not hold its first regular session until December 1863 would allow him to continue his war service for a time . Home on medical leave , he refused to campaign for the nomination , leaving that to political managers who secured it at the local convention in September 1862 , on the eighth ballot . In October , he defeated D.B. Woods by a two @-@ to @-@ one margin in the general election for a seat in the 38th Congress . 
