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Character
Ranking Minority Member
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Ritter

weary prominent candid newsworthy well-connected politically astute polite resigned influential reliable discreet pragmatic adversarial data-driven
Ritter operates as a discreet political intelligence broker and legislative liaison who supplies quantitative forecasts on committee outcomes and Senate vote counts. Senior White House staff — notably Leo McGarry and other operatives — treat his estimates as pragmatic inputs when triaging confirmations, planning outreach, or anticipating regulatory fallout. The current episode expands his remit: characters invoke him as a likely participant or contact in managing F.E.C. consequences, reinforcing his off‑stage influence and reputation for reliable Senate sentiment‑reading while he remains largely out of public view.
11 appearances
Legislative liaison and political intelligence
Also known as: Mr. Ritter, Governor Ritchie, Ritchie, RITTER

Ritter's Journey

A timeline through the narrative

11 moments
S2E21 · 18th and Potomac
Leo Deploys Josh Against Tobacco's Legal Juggernaut

Positioned as pivotal obstacle demanding confrontation

Ritter is pinpointed by Leo and confirmed by Josh as the ranking minority member of the budget subcommittee, becoming Josh's immediate target for grilling on Justice's underfunding crisis.

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S2E21 · 18th and Potomac
Josh Presses Ritter on Tobacco Funding Amid Haitian Absurdity

Weary resignation tinged with sardonic detachment

Exits D.C. building with Josh, expresses incredulity over Haitian president's trunk smuggling, pivots to reveal tobacco bill's doom via Kalmbach's donor ties, $460K PACs, 8-7 vote loss with Warren/Rossiter holdouts, …

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S2E21 · 18th and Potomac
Josh's Fiery Clash with Congressmen Over Tobacco Obstruction

mentioned as having provided Josh with the vote nose count

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S4E7 · Election Night
Public Farewell, Private Tremor

Absent from the scene, his presence functions as a political pressure rather than an emotional actor in the moment.

Governor Ritchie is invoked by the reporter as the subject of the question; he is not physically present but operates as the political adversary referenced in the exchange.

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S4E7 · Election Night
Donna's Ballot Panic

N/A (mentioned)

Referenced as the Republican candidate Donna accidentally voted for; his name catalyzes Donna's panic though he is not onstage.

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S4E7 · Election Night
Donna's Honor Gambit Outside the Polls

Not present; functions as background pressure.

Ritchie is referenced only implicitly via scoreboard context at the top of the scene; he is not active in the exchange but his candidacy provides electoral stakes that underwrite Donna's …

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S4E7 · Election Night
Blinking Precinct: Tampering Probe and Sound Truck Redeploy

N/A (referenced statistic)

Listed in the vote-tally header (Ritchie: 32,365,173), serving as contextual pressure (opponent's presence in the returns) but not physically present.

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S4E7 · Election Night
Donna Tries to Buy Back an Honor Vote

N/A (mentioned); functions as the target of Donna's corrective effort.

Governor Ritchie is the recipient of Donna's mistaken absentee vote and the ideological foil invoked by Bow Tie Boy; he exists here as the opposing candidate whose name catalyzes the …

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S4E7 · Election Night
Late-Exit Hope and Toby's Odd Reverie

Not present; his campaign performance is implied tension—Ritchie's totals create the immediate competitive frame for the staff.

Governor Ritchie's name and numbers appear on the board as the principal rival, giving the displayed tallies adversarial context and heightening urgency for Bartlet's team.

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S4E7 · Election Night
Balloons, Bad Timing, and Toby's Distraction

Not present in person; represented by his campaign's vote totals which frame staff concern and urgency.

Shown on the vote board as the labeled Republican opponent; his numeric presence functions as the counterpoint to Bartlet's totals and the implicit adversary in staff calculations.

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S4E7 · Election Night
Bartlet's Victory — A Global Affirmation

Not shown in person; represented as the electoral foil — implicitly contested and measured.

Ritchie's presence is textual: his vote total is displayed among the returns, marking him as the principal opponent and a metric against which this night's legitimacy is measured.

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Affiliation

Democratic National Committee (DNC)
National political party campaign support, resource allocation, and fundraising strategy