 Carignan was elected mayor of Saint-Eustache in November 2000 a position he held until August 29, 2009, when he was called to the Senate of Canada.After serving as chair of its justice and public safety commission, he became second vice-president of the Union des municipalités du Québec.In April 2008, he was appointed president of the Conseil sur les services policiers du Québec, an advisory body created to advise the Quebec Minister of Public Security on all policing matters.