Ramba uchiverenga ndima iyi - Gibson akapinda mune zvematongerwo enyika senhengo yeWhig Party ine maonero akasimba okurwisa uranda. Munguva yemushandirapamwe weU.S. Presidential wa1844, akapa hurukuro dzehurukuro dzaHenry Clay nekuda kwepuratifomu yeWhig Party iyo yaipikisa kubvuma Texas muUnited States nokuti yaiva nyika yevaranda. Mumushandirapamwe weU.S. Presidential wa1848, Gibson akatsigira Whig mukwikwidzi, "Rough and Ready" General Zachary Taylor. Zvisinei, ainetseka nokushayikwa kwekushora kweWhig Party kubviswa kwehuranda uye iye pachake akashanyira Henry Clay kumba kwake muAshland, Kentucky muna 1848 kuti akurukure nyaya iyi. Akakundwa somumiriri weWhig weOhio Attorney General muna 1853. Muna 1853, zvichitevera kukundwa kukuru kwemumiriri weWhig General Winfield Scott musarudzo yemutungamiri weU.S. ya1852, Gibson akatsigira Free Soil Party ndokutanga kuronga zvaizova Republican Party muOhio. Akapinda musangano wokutanga wesangano reRepublican Party muchirimo cha1856 muPittsburgh. Akanga ari mumwe wevamiriri veOhio 69 (pavamiriri 600 vakabva munyika yose) avo vakapinda musangano wokutanga weRepublican National Convention
rakaitirwa muPhiladelphia muna June 1856. Muna 1856, akamhanyira uye akasarudzwa seRepublican yekutanga kubata hofisi yeOhio State Treasurer.