Mayoral Election of 1927
McLaughlin was rededicated to his position as city attorney, improving roads, sanitation and water works. He worked with people with whom he had had a grudge. At first, military service seemed to have changed him. In the 1920 election for city attorney the opposition began a smear campaign. However, McLaughlin fought a clean fight and won easily.
When he ran for mayor in 1927, a dirty fight broke out. Hot Springs was an open gambling town and attracted many adversaries such as Sidney Nutt, McLaughlin's mayoral opponent. Nutt wanted to stop gambling, yet many town officials did not agree. Since McLaughlin had plans to use gambling to improve Hot Springs, people backed him.
It appeared as if Nutt would win. However, the day of the election a train full of 100 African American men arrived from outside Hot Springs from places such as Malvern and Prescott. They asked for directions to the second ward, McLaughlin's home ward. Each had a poll tax receipt which was needed for voting in Arkansas. That night when the votes were tallied, McLaughlin lost every ward except his own, yet there were enough votes in his ward to give him the victory.