Career
He represented Saint John"s East in the Newfoundland House of Assembly as a Liberal from 1857 to 1869. He was first elected to the assembly in an 1857 by-election held after Peter Winser resigned his seat. In 1868, he joined the coalition government of Frederick Carter.
Kavanagh did not run for reelection in 1869.
He was named road inspector in 1870 and served in that position until his death in 1884.
