Mr. Darst became interested in politics early in life. His first active work in behalf of the Democratic Party was in William H. Igoe's campaign for Mayor in 1925. He participated in the 1928 Al Smith campaign for President. He campaigned for Bernard F. Dickmann and upon Mayor Dickmann's election in 1933, Mr. Darst was appointed Director of Public Welfare. Under his direction, Bliss Psychopathic, Homer G. Phillips and the State Training School hospitals were built.

In April of 1949 Mr. Darst was elected Mayor by an 18,000 vote margin. A real estate man, Mayor Darst's greatest accomplishments were in the field of public housing, for which he received national acclaim. During his four years in office, 704 public housing family units were completed, 17,000 more were under construction, and another 4,000 were in the planning state. He labored for slum clearance and low-cost public housing. The John Cochran Apartments, the City's first post-war public housing project, were completed under his direction. Construction in the Desots-Carr area was in process on Pruitt homes.

In 1950 and 1951 the first headway was made in preparation for land clearance and redevelopment of blighted areas. The first project agreed on was the Plaza Area, extending from Fifteenth to Eighteenth and Olive to Market Streets. Under this program the areas are developed with private capital.