[4] McCarthy became a prominent lawyer and served on the City Council and the Rhode Island House of Representatives in the 1890s.

[5] He ran for the Providence Mayor's office on a progressive reform ticket in 1906, as a long shot candidate.

[4] He was in favor of eight-hour workdays for city workers, retirement pay for teachers, and pensions for police and firefighters.

[4][5] After his death, the New England elite pointed to McCarthy as an example of how Irish immigrants could succeed in America if they worked hard.

[5] His portrait in Providence City Hall was restored in 2012, and for a time hung above the mantle in the office of then-mayor Angel Taveras.