 He ran unsuccessfully for the New Hampshire Senate in 1984 and was a delegate to the 1988 Republican National Convention which nominated George H. W. Bush for the presidency.Zeliff was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1990, took seat in 1991 and was reelected in 1992 and 1994.In 1996, Zeliff opted to instead run in the gubernatorial race for Governor of New Hampshire.