Character Relationship Map: The Candidate

Characters

• Bill McKay (played by Robert Redford) — protagonist

  Bill McKay is an idealistic public interest lawyer and the son of former California governor John J. McKay. Recruited by Marvin Lucas to challenge Senator Crocker Jarmon, he begins with an openly pers...

• Marvin Lucas (played by Peter Boyle) — protagonist

  Marvin Lucas is a political consultant who searches for a Democratic candidate willing to oppose Senator Crocker Jarmon. He recruits Bill McKay, initially encouraging him to campaign freely because th...

• John J. McKay (played by Melvyn Douglas) — supporting

  John J. McKay is Bill McKay's popular former-governor father. His decision to remain outside the campaign is interpreted by the media as support for Senator Crocker Jarmon, prompting Bill to confront...

• Senator Crocker Jarmon (played by Don Porter) — supporting

  Senator Crocker Jarmon is a popular Republican who has served three terms as a California senator. He is the established opponent Bill McKay is recruited to challenge in an initially unwinnable race....

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Marvin Lucas → John J. McKay (Professional Campaign Coordinator) — They coordinate campaign activity to secure additional support for Bill.

  With the election approaching, Lucas and John arrange a meet-and-greet involving a labor union representative.

• Bill McKay → John J. McKay (Family Father And Son) — Their family relationship directly affects Bill's campaign and public image.

  The plot identifies Bill McKay as the son of former California governor John J. McKay. Bill later meets his father to address the media's interpretati...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• John J. McKay → Senator Crocker Jarmon (Conflict Electoral Counterweight) — John's public stance becomes relevant to Jarmon's electoral advantage.

  The media initially interpret John J. McKay's silence as an endorsement of Jarmon, prompting Bill to ask him to clarify his position.

• Marvin Lucas → Senator Crocker Jarmon (Conflict Strategic Opponent) — Lucas indirectly contests Jarmon through campaign strategy.

  Lucas seeks a Democratic candidate to oppose Jarmon and develops a campaign intended to challenge Jarmon's expected victory.

• Bill McKay → Senator Crocker Jarmon (Conflict Election Opponent) — They are the central opposing candidates in the Senate election.

  Bill enters the race as the Democratic candidate opposing three-term Republican Senator Crocker Jarmon.

• Bill McKay → Marvin Lucas (Alliance Campaign Partnership) — They work together as candidate and political consultant.

  Marvin Lucas recruits Bill, guides his campaign, shapes his message, and remains with him through the election victory.

Story Analysis

An idealistic candidate rises through a campaign that steadily transforms personal conviction into political strategy, ending with victory and unresolved uncertainty.

Plot Progression

1. The Unwinnable Campaign — Marvin Lucas searches for a Democratic candidate to challenge Senator Crocker Jarmon. Bill McKay accepts the race as a platform for expressing his ideals, then learns that defeat may be humiliating.
2. A Message for the Polls — Lucas persuades Bill to moderate his political message, and the campaign begins gaining support. The improvement is complicated when John J. McKay's silence is interpreted as support for Jarmon.
3. The Debate and Its Aftermath — Bill and Jarmon debate while Lucas supplies carefully tailored answers. Bill breaks from the script by raising poverty and race relations, but John's appearance unexpectedly changes the resulting medi...
4. The Narrow Road to Victory — Lucas and John arrange a meeting connected to a labor endorsement. After the endorsement brings workers behind Bill, the campaign reaches a virtual tie and Bill wins the election.