 Stafford received his bachelor and law degrees from Harvard University and practiced law in Milwaukee.Stafford was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives as the representative of Wisconsin's 5th congressional district serving in the 58th, 59th, 60th and 61st Congresses from March 4, 1903 to March 3, 1911.He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1910 losing out to Socialist Victor L. Berger.