The Contender

After his Vice President suddenly dies, President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) who is near the end of his final term, decides to leave a legacy by selecting a woman to fill the position. Enter Senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen), who has shifted from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party. Initially appearing to be the perfect candidate, an allegation suddenly appears that she had been involved in an orgy as a nineteen-year-old in college. Confirmation Committee Chairman Shelly Runyon (Gary Oldman), a Republican, leaks the information to the press, while using the press discussion as a forum to bring it into the hearings. The Chairman desires to get a Governor (William Petersen) into the office. The Governor had become a national hero when he attempted to rescue a young woman from a car that crashed from a bridge into deep water near where the Governor had been fishing.