In 1854, Bingham was elected as the first Republican Governor of Michigan[REF] and was re-elected in 1856; he is among the first Republicans to be elected governor of any state.
Bingham was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in 1858 and served in the 36th and 37th Congresses from March 4, 1859, until his death on October 5, 1861.