 In 1998, Cole was elected to the Democratic State Central Committee and a few months later selected to fill the District 47 Maryland House of Delegates seat vacated by Judge Timothy D. Murphy.The 2002 legislative redistricting process eliminated Baltimore's 47th Legislative District and Cole lost to three incumbents in the newly formed 46th Legislative District.He was first elected to the Baltimore City Council in 2007, and re-elected in 2011 winning 75% of the vote.