McLaughlin is the elected member for the Red Bay Constituency in George Town, currently serving his sixth term in the Parliament of the Cayman Islands.

He also served as a member of the Legal Advisory Council and the Grand Court Rules Committee and as president of the Caymanian Bar Association.

During May 2005 – May 2009 under the People's Progressive Movement administration, McLaughlin served as Minister for Education, Training, Employment, Youth, Sports and Culture and Second Elected Member for the district of George Town in the Legislative Assembly.

This new law raised the mandatory age for school attendance from 16 to 17 and set in place the framework for what is now being called the Year 12 programme in the government high-school system.

He has also spearheaded the construction of 21st century learning environments with the new Clifton Hunter and John Gray campuses, an initiative for which he has and continues to receive both praise and condemnation.

McLaughlin has represented the Cayman Islands Government at the highest level internationally at forums and conferences and as a member of delegations to London, Washington, D.C., Brussels, Melbourne, Australia, Cape Town, South Africa and a range of other jurisdictions.

Following the 2017 general election a coalition government between the Progressives, Cayman Democratic Party members and independent members was agreed upon, and McLaughlin once again took office, serving his second term as Premier on 31 May 2017 also serving as Minister of Employment, Border Control, Community Affairs, International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs.

[3] On the 23rd of November 2023, McLaughlin was elected unanimously by the Parliament of the Cayman Islands as the Speaker of the House, after former Premier Wayne Panton declined the role.