ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti sˈɛvən, bˈʌtlɚ wʌz ᵻlˈɛktᵻd æz ɐ ɹᵻpˈʌblɪkən tə ðə fˈɔːɹɾiəθ juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts kˈɑːŋɡɹəs, wˈɪnɪŋ ˌoʊvɚɹ ˈeɪɾi sˈɪks pɚsˈɛnt ʌvðə vˈoʊt ɪn ɐ ɹˈeɪs ɐɡˈɛnst dˈɛməkɹˌæt dʒˈeɪmz wˈaɪt.
In 1867, Butler was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth United States Congress, winning over 86% of the vote in a race against Democrat James White.