Stewart was a local councillor in Aberdeen between 1999 and 2011, serving as Depute Leader of Aberdeen City Council from 2007. As a councillor, he chaired the Finance and Resources Committee and the North East of Scotland's Regional Transport Partnership, NESTRANS. He also served as the chair of the 3Rs Board.[1]
Stewart was the convener of the Scottish Parliament's Local Government and Regeneration Committee,[2] where he oversaw scrutiny of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. Stewart was also a member of the Welfare Reform Committee and also sat on the Justice Sub-committee on Policing. He was also involved in the Cross-Party Groups on Oil & Gas, Scots language, Nuclear Disarmament, Malawi and Tibet. He also acted as Parliamentary Liaison Officer to Nicola Sturgeon from November 2014 until the dissolution of parliament in March 2016.
Stewart has lodged a number of motions in parliament in support of Votes at 16.
Stewart stood again in 2016 and was re-elected with an increased majority.[6] He was appointed as Minister for Local Government and Housing on 18 May 2016 when Sturgeon announced her government.[7]