He also served as chair of the Raleigh-Harwich Public School Board, and was an executive member of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture from 1973 to 1977.
[3] The Liberal Party made an electoral breakthrough in the 1985 provincial election, and McGuigan was re-elected by a significant margin.
[4] Following the election, the Liberals were able to form a minority government with support from the Ontario New Democratic Party.
During the next five years he was appointed as parliamentary assistant to several ministers including the Energy, Natural Resources, Transportation and Agriculture.
Ontario's electoral map was redistributed before the 1987 election, and McGuigan was forced to face NDP incumbent Pat Hayes in the new riding of Essex—Kent.