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In 1978 at the age of twenty-nine, Emmett was elected to the first of his four terms in the state House. That year [[Bill Clements]] was elected as the first Republican [[governor]] of Texas since [[Reconstruction]], having narrowly defeated the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] John Luke Hill (1923-2007), a former state attorney general and justice of the Texas Supreme Court. By the time Emmett left the House, Clements returned for his second non-consecutive term as governor when he waged a successful comeback against the man who had defeated him in 1982, then Attorney General [[Mark White]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=437&searchparams=chamber=H~city=~countyID=0~RcountyID=~district=127~first=~gender=~last=Emmett~leaderNote=~leg=~party=~roleDesc=~Committee=|title=Ed Emmett|publisher=Texas Legislative Reference Library|accessdate=September 3, 2020}}</ref> In 1978 at the age of twenty-nine, Emmett was elected to the first of his four terms in the state House of Representatives.

In 1978 at the age of twenty-nine, Emmett was elected to the first of his four terms in the state House. That year [[Bill Clements]] was elected as the first Republican [[governor]] of Texas since [[Reconstruction]], having narrowly defeated the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] John Luke Hill (1923-2007), a former state attorney general and justice of the Texas Supreme Court. By the time Emmett left the House, Clements returned for his second non-consecutive term as governor when he waged a successful comeback against the man who had defeated him in 1982, then Attorney General [[Mark White]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=437&searchparams=chamber=H~city=~countyID=0~RcountyID=~district=127~first=~gender=~last=Emmett~leaderNote=~leg=~party=~roleDesc=~Committee=|title=Ed Emmett|publisher=Texas Legislative Reference Library|accessdate=September 3, 2020}}</ref> In 1978 at the age of twenty-nine, Emmett was elected to the first of his four terms in the state House of Representatives.

During his state legislative tenure, Emmett chaired the House Energy Committee and sat as well on the Transportation Committee. In 1989, [[U.S. President]] [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] nominated Emmett to serve on the Interstate Commerce Commission, an appointment that he held for three years. In 1995, the remaining functions of the ICC were transferred to the Surface Transportation Board. Emmett was unanimously confirmed by the [[United States Senate]].<ref name=judgeemmett>{{cite web|url=http://www.judgeemmett.org/biography.asp|title=Ed Emmett, County Judge|publisher=judgeemmett.org|accessdate=April 1, 2014}}</ref>

During his state legislative tenure, Emmett chaired the House Energy Committee and sat as well on the Transportation Committee. In 1989, [[U.S. President]] [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] nominated Emmett to serve on the Interstate Commerce Commission, an appointment that he held for three years. In 1995, the remaining functions of the ICC were transferred to the Surface Transportation Board. Emmett was unanimously confirmed by the [[United States Senate]].<ref name=judgeemmett>{{cite web|url=http://www.judgeemmett.org/biography.asp|title=Ed Emmett, County Judge|publisher=judgeemmett.org|accessdate=April 1, 2014; website no longer active}}</ref>

Emmett was first appointed county judge by the commissioners court in 2007 to fill the nearly full four-year term left by the resignation of his predecessor, Robert Eckels (born 1957), also a transportation planner and a former member of the state House. In his capacity as county judge, Emmett was also the director of the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. He is the chairman of the Houston-Galveston Area Transportation Policy Council and the county Juvenile Board.<ref name=judgeemmett/>

Emmett was first appointed county judge by the commissioners court in 2007 to fill the nearly full four-year term left by the resignation of his predecessor, Robert Eckels (born 1957), also a transportation planner and a former member of the state House. In his capacity as county judge, Emmett was also the director of the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. He is the chairman of the Houston-Galveston Area Transportation Policy Council and the county Juvenile Board.<ref name=judgeemmett/>