Ruth

Ruth anchors the McGarry household as a pragmatic, quietly authoritative domestic presence. She frames Leo McGarry’s mornings with light teasing—deflating his crossword-driven indignations with brisk, practical retorts like “You should call them.”—and she shifts seamlessly from companionable banter to steady facilitation when duty intrudes. Ruth’s composure and wry economy of words keep domestic tension low, provide emotional ballast for Leo, and implicitly enable his transition from private ritual to high-stakes public work without spectacle or drama.