The life a candidate chooses. The ambitious in the 1st CD have been warned. You come at the king….

The Wire–who some say is the greatest dramatic crime series ever–included a campaign for mayor in its gripping portrayal of like in Baltimore. Tommy Carcetti, the ambitious city councilman challenging an incumbent mayor in a Democratic mayor, is the writers’ vehicle for the gritty political plot line.

Above is a four-minute summary of a modern campaign with Carcetti confined to the phone room doing everything but making fundraising calls to pay for another round of television ads.

Advice to the candidates: Everyone needs a Norman Wilson. You can’t play that role and also be the candidate.

Spoiler alert: Tommy Carcetti, played to considerable acclaim by Irish actor Aidan Gillen, knocks out the incumbent.

One more thing from The Wire:

Published July 24, 2025.