 Carmichael began his political career when he ran for a seat on the Northwest Territories Council in the 1951 Northwest Territories general election becoming one of the three elected members of the 1st Northwest Territories Legislative Council.He won the new electoral district of Mackenzie West defeating Vivian Roberts, the first woman candidate in Northwest Territories history, and Karl Helmer Walter Gardlund by a wide margin in a high-profile race.His electoral district was abolished due to redistribution in 1954 and he ran in and won the new Mackenzie Delta in the 1954 Northwest Territories general election.