Seth Gillette
Encyclopedia
Seth Gillette is a fictional Democratic
U.S. senator
from North Dakota
, played by Ed Begley, Jr.
He was a recurring character on the American television
show The West Wing during its second season.
Gillette was first mentioned in the episode "The Drop-In,"
when the leader of an environmentalist
group, angry with a statement on eco-terrorism
made by President Josiah Bartlet
, threatened to back Gillette in a third party
bid for President. At the time, it was not explained who Gillette was.
The senator appeared in the flesh two episodes later in "The War at Home,"
where it was explained that he was North Dakota's junior senator and that he was "adored by the Left
," particularly the environmental movement and organized labor
. At that time, Gillette, furious at the President's announcement, made during the State of the Union Address
, that he would form a blue ribbon committee to study the future of entitlement program
s, met with the White House
's Communications Director Toby Ziegler
in person to threaten to run against Bartlet over the issue.
In the following episode, "Ellie,"
Ziegler solved the problem of Gillette's resistance to the committee by placing him on it, a solution that also satisfied the AARP and the AFL-CIO
. As Senator Gillette did not want to serve on the committee, and his public refusal would be embarrassing to the President, Ziegler simply announced that Gillette had agreed to be on the committee without asking him.
Gillette was mentioned just once more, in the episode "Two Cathedrals,"
when Democratic National Committee
operatives, reeling over the revelation that the President had concealed his multiple sclerosis
, briefly discussed the possibility of backing Gillette's presidential bid, but the idea was quickly quashed. He has not been seen or mentioned since.
It seems likely that the character of Seth Gillette was based largely on real-life Senators Paul Wellstone
of Minnesota
and Russ Feingold
of Wisconsin
, as well as former Sen. George McGovern
of South Dakota
. He also bears a distinct resemblance to the character of Sen. Fred Van Ackerman (D-WY
) in Allen Drury
's Advise and Consent
, which was later made into a film featuring George Grizzard
as Van Ackerman.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
U.S. senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, played by Ed Begley, Jr.
Ed Begley, Jr.
Edward James "Ed" Begley, Jr. is an American actor and environmentalist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He is best known for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich, on the television series St...
He was a recurring character on the American television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show The West Wing during its second season.
Gillette was first mentioned in the episode "The Drop-In,"
The Drop-In
-Plot:Leo tries to convince President Bartlet of the importance of supporting a missile defense plan. The episode begins with an important test where all of the technical systems work but the interceptor system misses the target missile--by 137 miles...
when the leader of an environmentalist
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
group, angry with a statement on eco-terrorism
Eco-terrorism
Eco-terrorism usually refers to acts of violence or sabotage committed in support of ecological, environmental, or animal rights causes against persons or their property....
made by President Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is President of the United States for the entire series until the last episode, when his successor is inaugurated...
, threatened to back Gillette in a third party
Third party (United States)
The term third party is used in the United States for any and all political parties in the United States other than one of the two major parties . The term can also refer to independent politicians not affiliated with any party at all and to write-in candidates.The United States has had a...
bid for President. At the time, it was not explained who Gillette was.
The senator appeared in the flesh two episodes later in "The War at Home,"
The War at Home (The West Wing)
-Plot:An attempt to rescue the DEA agents held hostage in Colombia backfires and nine soldiers are killed. The President and his staff weigh more military action and the effects of appeasing terrorists. The hostages are later released after the Colombian President covertly releases a recently...
where it was explained that he was North Dakota's junior senator and that he was "adored by the Left
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
," particularly the environmental movement and organized labor
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
. At that time, Gillette, furious at the President's announcement, made during the State of the Union Address
State of the Union Address
The State of the Union is an annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda and his national priorities.The practice arises...
, that he would form a blue ribbon committee to study the future of entitlement program
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
s, met with the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
's Communications Director Toby Ziegler
Toby Ziegler
Tobias Zachary 'Toby' Ziegler is played by Richard Schiff on the television serial drama The West Wing. For most of the series' duration he is White House Communications Director.-Creation and development:...
in person to threaten to run against Bartlet over the issue.
In the following episode, "Ellie,"
Ellie (The West Wing)
-Plot:The President is put in a tricky spot when Millicent Griffith his Surgeon General publicly supports the legalization of marijuana, and his daughter Ellie makes a controversial comment to Danny Concannon...
Ziegler solved the problem of Gillette's resistance to the committee by placing him on it, a solution that also satisfied the AARP and the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
. As Senator Gillette did not want to serve on the committee, and his public refusal would be embarrassing to the President, Ziegler simply announced that Gillette had agreed to be on the committee without asking him.
Gillette was mentioned just once more, in the episode "Two Cathedrals,"
Two Cathedrals
"Two Cathedrals" is the 44th episode, and second season finale of The West Wing.-Synopsis:President Bartlet is beset by memories of Mrs. Landingham as her funeral approaches. Meanwhile, the staff deals with a crisis in Haiti and questions from congressional Democrats regarding the President's...
when Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
operatives, reeling over the revelation that the President had concealed his multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
, briefly discussed the possibility of backing Gillette's presidential bid, but the idea was quickly quashed. He has not been seen or mentioned since.
It seems likely that the character of Seth Gillette was based largely on real-life Senators Paul Wellstone
Paul Wellstone
Paul David Wellstone was a two-term U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is affiliated with the national Democratic Party. Before being elected to the Senate in 1990, he was a professor of political science at Carleton College...
of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and Russ Feingold
Russ Feingold
Russell Dana "Russ" Feingold is an American politician from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. He served as a Democratic party member of the U.S. Senate from 1993 to 2011. From 1983 to 1993, Feingold was a Wisconsin State Senator representing the 27th District.He is a recipient of the John F...
of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, as well as former Sen. George McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
of South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. He also bears a distinct resemblance to the character of Sen. Fred Van Ackerman (D-WY
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
) in Allen Drury
Allen Drury
Allen Stuart Drury was a U.S. novelist. He wrote the 1959 novel Advise and Consent, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1960.- Early life & ancestry :...
's Advise and Consent
Advise and Consent
Advise and Consent is a 1959 political novel by Allen Drury that explores the United States Senate confirmation of controversial Secretary of State nominee Robert Leffingwell who is a former member of the Communist Party...
, which was later made into a film featuring George Grizzard
George Grizzard
George Cooper Grizzard, Jr. was an American actor of film and stage. He appeared in more than 40 films, dozens of television programs and a number of Broadway plays.-Life and career:...
as Van Ackerman.