Active in state politics as a young man, Forde was a member of the Australian House of Representatives (1922–46) and deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party (1932–46). In the cabinet he served as minister for the army (1941–46), minister for defense (1946), and deputy prime minister to John Curtin (1941–45) and Joseph Benedict Chifley (1945–46). He also served as prime minister for six days, July 6–12, 1945 (the shortest term in Australia's history), after the death of Curtin. He was Australian high commissioner to Canada from 1946 to 1953.