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* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: As with every major donator, [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney money is power]], to the point where the entire Royce administration freaks out at the thought of anything happening to him, and he can be involved with various major pieces of corruption and skate away from it without ever even being seriously questioned.
* StealingFromTheTill: Although unconfirmed, Krawczyk likely used his position on the school board to embezzle money for the schools, given the mysterious and huge hole in the school board budget and the misused/misappropriated equipment that Prez finds in the school basement.
* StealingFromTheTill: Although unconfirmed, Krawczyk likely used his position on the school board to embezzle money for the schools, given the mysterious and huge hole in the school board budget and the misused/misappropriated equipment that Prez finds in the school basement.
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* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: As with every major donator, donor, [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney money is power]], to the point where the entire Royce administration freaks out at the thought of anything happening to him, and he can be involved with various major pieces of corruption and skate away from it without ever even being seriously questioned.
* StealingFromTheTill: Although unconfirmed, Krawczyk likely used his position on the school board to embezzle moneyfor from the schools, given the mysterious and huge hole in the school board budget and the misused/misappropriated equipment that Prez finds in the school basement.
* StealingFromTheTill: Although unconfirmed, Krawczyk likely used his position on the school board to embezzle money
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* {{Rainmaking}}: Rainmakes Stringer.
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* {{Rainmaking}}: Rainmakes Stringer.Solicits bribes from Stringer, promising to advance his real estate investments, but doesn't actually do anything once he gets them.
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* StealingFromTheTill: Although unconfirmed it seems likely, given the mysterious and huge hole in the school board budget and the misused/misappropriated equipment that Prez finds in the school basement.
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* StealingFromTheTill: Although unconfirmed it seems likely, unconfirmed, Krawczyk likely used his position on the school board to embezzle money for the schools, given the mysterious and huge hole in the school board budget and the misused/misappropriated equipment that Prez finds in the school basement.
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-->I told you I saw only the one. I know he was black. Big, I thought. With a large weapon.
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* AmbiguouslyEvil: Neither the police or the viewers themselves ever catch him doing anything unquestionably corrupt, but when you consider that he's the president of a school board that has somehow mysteriously lost millions of dollars and is letting brand new books and equipment sit in the basement while the students get by with books that are several editions older, (which could be simple mismanagement, or it could be similar to a [[http://articles.latimes.com/2013/sep/06/local/la-me-textbook-theft-20130906 2013 California case where workers at several school districts were stealing and then reselling new textbooks]]) that he's doing consulting work with people like Stringer and Avon who are pretty clearly drug dealers or some other type of criminal, that he's working with Clay Davis as part of Davis' con on Stringer and subtly pushes Stringer towards giving Davis money, and Levy's warning to Marlo that "he's a guy you're going to want to know well, but do not get into a room with him alone. You're going to want me in there with you, or guys like that will bleed you dry" it becomes possible that Andy K, despite flying under the radar and never explicitly breaking the law, may just be the dirtiest player in the whole game.
to:
* AmbiguouslyEvil: Neither the police or the viewers themselves ever catch him doing anything unquestionably corrupt, but when you consider that he's the president of a school board that has somehow mysteriously lost millions of dollars and is letting brand new books and equipment sit in the basement while the students get by with books that are several editions older, (which could be simple mismanagement, or it could be similar to a [[http://articles.latimes.com/2013/sep/06/local/la-me-textbook-theft-20130906 2013 California case where workers at several school districts were stealing and then reselling new textbooks]]) that he's doing consulting work with people like Stringer and Avon who are pretty clearly drug dealers or some other type of criminal, that he's working with Clay Davis as part of Davis' con on Stringer and subtly pushes Stringer towards giving Davis money, and Levy's warning to Marlo that "he's Marlo[[labelnote:quote]]"He's a guy you're going to want to know well, but do not get into a room with him alone. You're going to want me in there with you, or guys like that will bleed you dry" dry"[[/labelnote]] it becomes possible that Andy K, despite flying under the radar and never explicitly breaking the law, may just be the dirtiest player in the whole game.
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* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: Starts off as an idealistic crusader determined to clean up Baltimore's corruption. A year in the mayor's seat gradually molds him into just another self-serving politician who's forgotten everything he stood for.
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Misuse, he's slick and sycophantic when he needs to be, not disdainful
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* SmugSnake: He's very arrogant and there is no telling he won't be caught in another finance scandal. Other than that, he's a straight up MagnificentBastard.
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* BadassBoast: ''He wants to go big dick with me? I'll give him one he can't handle!''
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* BadassBoast: ''He What he says regarding Carcetti challenging him.
-->He wants to go big dick with me? I'll give him one he can'thandle!''handle!
-->He wants to go big dick with me? I'll give him one he can't
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* [[invoked]] ActuallyPrettyFunny: Laughs his ass off when the true nature of the serial killer is exposed, despite Carcetti calling up DudeNotFunny!
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* [[invoked]] ActuallyPrettyFunny: Laughs his ass off when the true nature of the serial killer is exposed, despite Carcetti calling up DudeNotFunny!DudeNotFunny
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* BadassBoast: --> ''He wants to go big dick with me? I'll give him one he can't handle!''
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* BadassBoast: --> ''He wants to go big dick with me? I'll give him one he can't handle!''
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* BadassBoast: --> ''He wants to go big dick with me? I'll give him one he can't handle!''
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[[center: [- [[Characters/TheWire Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/TheWireBaltimorePoliceDepartment Baltimore Police Department]] |[[Characters/TheWireMajorCrimesUnit Major Crimes Unit]] | [[Characters/TheWireHomicideUnit Homicide Unit]] | [[Characters/TheWirePoliceCommanders Police Commanders]] | [[Characters/TheWireWesternDistrict Western District]] | [[Characters/TheWireBaltimoreUnderworld Baltimore Underworld]] |[[Characters/TheWireBarksdaleOrganization The Barksdale Organization]] | [[Characters/TheWireOmarAndAssociates Omar and Associates]] | [[Characters/TheWireTheGreeks The Greeks]] | [[Characters/TheWireStanfieldOrganization Stanfield Organization]] | [[Characters/TheWireNewDayCoOp New Day Co-Op]] | [[Characters/TheWireCourthouse Courthouse]] | '''City Hall''' | [[Characters/TheWireBaltimoreSun The Baltimore Sun]] | [[Characters/TheWireOtherCharacters Other Characters]] | [[Characters/TheWireHomelessPeopleAndAddicts Homeless People and Addicts]] | [[Characters/TheWireBaltimoreDocks Baltimore Docks]] | [[Characters/TheWireTheNextGeneration The Next Generation]]]]-]
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[[center: [- [[Characters/TheWire Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/TheWireBaltimorePoliceDepartment Baltimore Police Department]] |[[Characters/TheWireMajorCrimesUnit | [[Characters/TheWireMajorCrimesUnit Major Crimes Unit]] | [[Characters/TheWireHomicideUnit Homicide Unit]] | [[Characters/TheWirePoliceCommanders Police Commanders]] | [[Characters/TheWireWesternDistrict Western District]] | [[Characters/TheWireBaltimoreUnderworld Baltimore Underworld]] |[[Characters/TheWireBarksdaleOrganization | [[Characters/TheWireBarksdaleOrganization The Barksdale Organization]] | [[Characters/TheWireOmarAndAssociates Omar and Associates]] | [[Characters/TheWireTheGreeks The Greeks]] | [[Characters/TheWireStanfieldOrganization Stanfield Organization]] | [[Characters/TheWireNewDayCoOp New Day Co-Op]] | [[Characters/TheWireCourthouse Courthouse]] | '''City Hall''' | [[Characters/TheWireBaltimoreSun The Baltimore Sun]] | [[Characters/TheWireOtherCharacters Other Characters]] | [[Characters/TheWireHomelessPeopleAndAddicts Homeless People and Addicts]] | [[Characters/TheWireBaltimoreDocks Baltimore Docks]] | [[Characters/TheWireTheNextGeneration The Next Generation]]]]-]
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** [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Or]] it could be just a strategy to make him seem more human to the public by misspelling on purpose.
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** [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Or]] it could be just a strategy to make him seem [[CloserToEarth more human human]] to the public by misspelling on purpose.
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* {{Catchphrase}}: "Sheeeeeeeeiiiiiiit." Sometimes he ellaborates a bit to say "some shameful shit", in a more articulate way.
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* {{Catchphrase}}: "Sheeeeeeeeiiiiiiit." Sometimes he ellaborates elaborates a bit to say "some shameful shit", in a more articulate way.
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[[center: [- [[Characters/TheWire Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/TheWireBaltimorePoliceDepartment Baltimore Police Department]] |[[Characters/TheWireMajorCrimesUnit Major Crimes Unit]] | [[Characters/TheWireHomicideUnit Homicide Unit]] | [[Characters/TheWirePoliceCommanders Police Commanders]] | [[Characters/TheWireWesternDistrict Western District]] | [[Characters/TheWireBaltimoreUnderworld Baltimore Underworld]] |[[Characters/TheWireBarksdaleOrganization The Barksdale Organization]] | [[Characters/TheWireOmarAndAssociates Omar and Associates]] | [[Characters/TheWireTheGreeks The Greeks]] | [[Characters/TheWireStanfieldOrganization Stanfield Organization]] | [[Characters/TheWireNewDayCoOp New Day Co-Op]] | [[Characters/TheWireCourthouse Courthouse]] | '''City Hall''' | [[Characters/TheWireBaltimoreSun The Baltimore Sun]] | [[Characters/TheWireOtherCharacters Other Characters]] | [[Characters/TheWireHomelessPeopleAndAddicts Homeless People and Addicts]] | [[Characters/TheWireBaltimoreDocks Baltimore Docks]] | [[Characters/TheWireTheNextGeneration The Next Generation]]]]-]
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* AffablyEvil: A corrupt mayor who's also quite personable and a GracefulLoser.
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* AffablyEvil: A corrupt mayor who's also quite personable and a GracefulLoser. He even tries to give Hamsterdam a shot, but is forced to backpedal to avoid being crushed in the election.
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* HeWhoFightsMonsters
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* HeWhoFightsMonstersHeWhoFightsMonsters: He eventually becomes a downplayed one himself.
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* ChewbaccaDefense
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* ChewbaccaDefenseChewbaccaDefense: Makes bullshit arguments in court. [[spoiler:He still charms the audience in the room through hinging on RefugeInAudacity.]]
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* {{Rainmaking}}
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* {{Rainmaking}}{{Rainmaking}}: Rainmakes Stringer.
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* {{Jerkass}}: Mantains a slimy, non-confrontational persona most of the time, but [[BitchInSheepsClothing he breaks his façade sometimes]] during his rants, for instance, when Daniels doesn't cave in, Davis calls him a motherfucker, among other insults.
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* {{Jerkass}}: Mantains a slimy, non-confrontational persona most of the time, but [[BitchInSheepsClothing he breaks his façade sometimes]] during his rants, for instance, when Daniels doesn't cave in, Davis calls him a motherfucker, motherfucker whilst ''he is in the room'', among other insults.
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* SleazyPolitician: Another morally flexible politician, very good at intrigue.
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* SleazyPolitician: Another morally flexible politician, very Possibly the worst one next to Clay Davis and ''very'' good at intrigue.
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** [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation or]] it could be just a strategy to make him seem more human to the public by misspelling on purpose.
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** [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation or]] Or]] it could be just a strategy to make him seem more human to the public by misspelling on purpose.
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* TheOneWhoMadeItOut: Clay came from the projects too but became a politician.
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* TheOneWhoMadeItOut: Clay tells Avon during a meeting in the club that he came from the projects too but became a politician.
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* SleazyPolitician: Eventually turns into one, though not without his hand being forced by the [[UpToEleven even sleazier]] Nerese Campbell.
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* SleazyPolitician: Eventually turns into one, though not without his hand being forced by the [[UpToEleven even considerably sleazier]] Nerese Campbell.Campbell and the king of sleaze himself, Clay Davis.
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* AffablyEvil: A corrupt mayor who's also a GracefulLoser.
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* AffablyEvil: A corrupt mayor who's also quite personable and a GracefulLoser.
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* LetTheBullyWin: Regularly organizes poker games with rich big shots who lose deliberately in order to fill the mayor's pockets. They accept it as part of the game, but are not happy about his greed.
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* LetTheBullyWin: Regularly organizes poker games with rich big shots who lose deliberately in order to fill the mayor's pockets. They accept it as part of the game, but are not happy about his greed.how much they have to lose in order to appease him.
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** [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation or]] it could be just a strategy to make him seem more human to the public by misspelling on purpose.
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* SirSwearsalot: While everyone except Omar swears a lot in this show, Tommy is particularly foul-mouthed.
* SleazyPolitician: Eventually turns into one.
* SleazyPolitician: Eventually turns into one.
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* SirSwearsalot: While everyone except Omar swears a lot in this show, Tommy is particularly foul-mouthed.
foul-mouthed with c-bombs as well as f-bombs.
* SleazyPolitician: Eventually turns intoone.one, though not without his hand being forced by the [[UpToEleven even sleazier]] Nerese Campbell.
* SleazyPolitician: Eventually turns into
* AffablyEvil: A corrupt mayor who's also a GracefulLoser.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: An example in which he's for once on the wrong end is when he loses the primaries as the direct consequence of allowing the highly successful Hamsterdam experiment to continue.
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* {{Foil}}: His input and opinions are polar opposites of Norman Wilson's in Carcetti's cabinet. While they do impede each other, there is usually no resentment between the two.
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* {{Foil}}: His input and opinions are polar opposites of Norman Wilson's in Carcetti's cabinet. While they do impede each other, there is [[PunchClockVillain usually no resentment between the two.two]].
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* DefrostingIceQueen: Averted. After finding her too distant and cold, [=McNulty=] does an effort to connect with her, but they live in two separate worlds. When he thinks she's finally warming up to him he realizes that she's pumping him for information on Major Colvin and Hamsterdam, and promptly storms away.
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* DefrostingIceQueen: Averted. After finding her too distant and cold, [=McNulty=] does an effort to connect with her, but they live in two separate worlds. When he thinks she's finally warming up to him he realizes that she's pumping him for information on Major Colvin and Hamsterdam, and [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome promptly storms away.away]].
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* SmugSnake: There is no telling he won't be caught in another finance scandal. Other than that, he's a straight up MagnificentBastard.
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* SmugSnake: There He's very arrogant and there is no telling he won't be caught in another finance scandal. Other than that, he's a straight up MagnificentBastard.
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* FaceHeelTurn: Mildly and realistically so. He doesn't so much go from IdealHero to CompleteMonster as go from an [[CorruptTheCutie idealistic crusader]] to just another self-interested politician.
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* FaceHeelTurn: Mildly and realistically so. He doesn't so much go from IdealHero to CompleteMonster utter villain as go from an [[CorruptTheCutie idealistic crusader]] to just another self-interested politician.
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* FaceHeelTurn: Mildly and realistically so. He doesn't so much go from good to evil as go from an [[CorruptTheCutie idealistic crusader]] to just another self-interested politician.
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* FaceHeelTurn: Mildly and realistically so. He doesn't so much go from good IdealHero to evil CompleteMonster as go from an [[CorruptTheCutie idealistic crusader]] to just another self-interested politician.
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* LargeHam: Especially by season 4.
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* LargeHam: Especially theatrical by season 4.
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* SmugSnake
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* SmugSnakeSmugSnake: There is no telling he won't be caught in another finance scandal. Other than that, he's a straight up MagnificentBastard.
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* {{Realpolitik}}: He wholeheartedly and ruthlessly embraces this outlook, and the advice he gives to Carcetti reflects this. The most prominent example is when he cynically tells Carcetti not to politically weaken himself in order to help the schools because "Kids don't vote."
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[[folder:Thomas "Tommy" Carcetti]]
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City Councilman. He dreams of supplanting the current mayor, Royce, and cleaning up Baltimore. He gets his chance with the rise in violent crime, and when a key witness is killed due to the lack of proper witness protection. When Hamsterdam is exposed, he starts campaigning in earnest, pulling off an upset and becoming mayor. Once in office, with his advisors Norman and Steintorf, he seeks out people he can trust within city government, particularly the police force. Promising a reduction in crime, he is undermined by the revelation that financial legerdemain had been used to to hide a massive deficit in the school budget. Deciding not to seek the Maryland governor's help in bailing out the schools, he takes the money from the police force instead. He is unable to fulfill most of the promises he made to his allies and constituents, but manages to get elected governor by attacking his Republican opponent's positions on homeless and the poor, which works as a high-profile issue due to [=McNulty=]'s fake serial killer.
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* ObstructiveBureaucrat: While Earvin Burrell is the obstruction to proper policing within is department, Parker and Royce are the obstructions of Burrell. An oft repeated quote says that, "...the shit rolls downhill."
* PunchClockVillain: After Carcetti chooses to let the schools rot rather than go cap-in-hand to Annapolis, he drinks with Norman in a downtown bar, and his conversation reveals that politics is just a job for him, and that he doesn't get personally invested in it. He advises Norman to do the same, since politicians "always disppoint".
* PunchClockVillain: After Carcetti chooses to let the schools rot rather than go cap-in-hand to Annapolis, he drinks with Norman in a downtown bar, and his conversation reveals that politics is just a job for him, and that he doesn't get personally invested in it. He advises Norman to do the same, since politicians "always disppoint".
to:
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: While Earvin Burrell is the obstruction to proper policing within is the police department, Parker and Royce are the obstructions of Burrell. An oft repeated quote says that, "...the shit rolls downhill."
Burrell.
* PunchClockVillain: After Carcetti chooses to let the schools rot rather than go cap-in-hand to Annapolis, he drinks with Norman in a downtown bar, and his conversation reveals that politics is just a job for him, and that he doesn't get personally invested in it. He advises Norman to do the same, since politicians "alwaysdisppoint".disappoint".
* PunchClockVillain: After Carcetti chooses to let the schools rot rather than go cap-in-hand to Annapolis, he drinks with Norman in a downtown bar, and his conversation reveals that politics is just a job for him, and that he doesn't get personally invested in it. He advises Norman to do the same, since politicians "always
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** She becomes the contrarian to Police Commissioner Cedric Daniels. She argues that if he doesn't come into the fold, she will sling as much mud as she can to him; the mud, she obtained from Burrell as it turns out.
* TheFixer: Cutting backroom deals to head off problems is one of Nerese's great talents, see how she manages to talk Burrell into leaving the post of Commissioner gracefully, and later convinces a panicking Clay Davis out of trying to save himself by spilling the beans on all the dirty dealings in City Hall.
* TheFixer: Cutting backroom deals to head off problems is one of Nerese's great talents, see how she manages to talk Burrell into leaving the post of Commissioner gracefully, and later convinces a panicking Clay Davis out of trying to save himself by spilling the beans on all the dirty dealings in City Hall.
to:
** She becomes the contrarian to Police Commissioner Cedric Daniels. She argues that if he doesn't come into the fold, she will sling as much mud as she can to him; the mud, she obtained from Burrell as it turns out.
* TheFixer: Cutting backroom deals to head off problems is one of Nerese's greattalents, see talents. See how she manages to talk Burrell into leaving the post of Commissioner gracefully, and later convinces a panicking Clay Davis out of trying to save himself by spilling the beans on all the dirty dealings in City Hall.
* TheFixer: Cutting backroom deals to head off problems is one of Nerese's great
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Mayor Carcetti's chief of staff. A realist, he lets Carcetti know that many of his plans are infeasible. Later, he pressures Daniels to alter crime statistics.
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* TheConsigliere: A less principled and more Machiavellian version of Normal Wilson.
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* TheConsigliere: A less principled and more Machiavellian version of Normal Norman Wilson.
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* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Becomes Mayor only to be hit with a financial deficit which he spends nearly every waking hour trying to plug up.
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-->''"Money launderin'!? They gonna come talk to me about Money launderin'!? In West Baltimore?! Sheeeeit, where do you think I'm gonna raise cash for the whole damn ticket!? From laundromats and shit!? From some tiny-ass Korean groceries?! You think I got time to ask a man why he given me money or where he gets his money from?! I'll take any motherfucker's money if he's givin' it away!"''
-->--'''Maryland State Senator Clayton Davis'''
At the root of why nothing can ever get done in Baltimore, and, by extension, America, City Hall tells the story of Baltimore's political leaders and their Byzantine efforts at backstabbing and career advancement. City Hall is explored through the eyes of Democratic Councilman Tommy Carcetti, who achieves a feat most of the Democratic Party think impossible by winning election as the white mayor of a majority black city. Despite his initial idealism, he is unable to leverage his electoral success into political success, being forced to back up on his promises for the sake of his career. The City Hall storyline is an examination of the corruption at the heart of Baltimore political system and how internal reformers are either forced into resignation, acquiescence, or corruption.
----
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:R. Clayton "Clay" Davis]]
->'''Played by''': Isaiah Whitlock Jr.
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/claydavis_3096.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Sheeeeeeeit"'']]
-->''Fool, what do you think? That we know anything about who gives money? That we give a damn about who they are or what they want? We have no way of running down them or their stories. We don't care. We just cash the damn cheques, count the votes and move on.''
Maryland state senator. Corrupt doesn't begin to describe him. He takes bribes from many sources, including the Barksdale organization under Stringer Bell, and does patronage and fundraising in return, when he doesn't simply fleece them. Two simultaneous investigations, one by the Major Crimes department of the Baltimore Police, the other by the FBI, are focused on him. Neither succeeds in bringing him down.
----
* {{Blackmail}}: On the receiving end, he for once gets outconned, by Lester, who threatens to go Federal with some major, undisclosed evidence unless Davis provides some information. Little the Senator knows that the Atorney General had already turned down the case after the fiasco in the local court made Davis a hero.
* {{Catchphrase}}: "Sheeeeeeeeiiiiiiit." Sometimes he ellaborates a bit to say "some shameful shit", in a more articulate way.
* ChewbaccaDefense
* ConMan: In all but name. A real shakedown artist.
-->'''Norman:''' He's slick, apologizes for the short con and in the next breath setting us up for the long.
* CorruptPolitician: "Corrupt" doesn't begin to describe him.
* EverythingIsRacist: Spins the investigation into his corruption into an inspiring narrative of his own victimization at the hands of villainous whiteys and Uncle Toms in the State's Attorney's office. Depressingly, it works.
-->'''Gus Haynes''': 45 inches of Clay Davis playing not just the race card but the whole deck, coming at ya.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Keeps the veneer of amicability of a snake oil salesman. It usually falls the moment things start to go against him.
* FeigningIntelligence: Brings a copy of Prometheus Bound, by Aeschylus, to his trial. He tells reporters that he relates to this story of a man punished by the PowersThatBe for helping the people - and in the process mispronounces both Prometheus and Aeschylus, suggesting that he has never read or discussed the book.
* {{Jerkass}}: Mantains a slimy, non-confrontational persona most of the time, but [[BitchInSheepsClothing he breaks his façade sometimes]] during his rants, for instance, when Daniels doesn't cave in, Davis calls him a motherfucker, among other insults.
* KarmaHoudini: Not only he escapes punishment, [[TheBadGuyWins his position is reinforced]] after he's acquitted.
-->'''First Deputy:''' You city sons of bitches have managed, in a single week, to transform Clay fucking Davis into Martin Luther King Jr.
* LargeHam: Especially by season 4.
* ManipulativeBastard: When he is put on in Season 5, he easily charms the Baltimore jury into believing that his theft of money from his charity organizations was for a good cause, and is acquitted.
* PlayingTheVictimCard: In the stairs of the courtroom and then inside of it. He portrays himself as a man of the people who is the victim of a greek tragedy.
* {{Rainmaking}}
* SleazyPolitician: In addition to his criminality, he's pretty scummy in his personal life as well.
* SlimeBall: An amalgamation of everything that's wrong inside the political machine.
* SmugSnake
* TheOneWhoMadeItOut: Clay came from the projects too but became a politician.
* VerbalTic: Addressing his victims as "partner". An intentional, reassuring pet word.
* VillainousBreakdown: Delivers angry rants to his political cronies whenever he's under scrutiny. He loses it during Carcetti's term when he begins to realize he's sinking with no rope or allies in reach, but he quickly pulls himself together to present his usual slimy public persona.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: So good that it helps him get acquitted of fraud charges.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Thomas "Tommy" Carcetti]]
->'''Played by''': Creator/AidanGillen
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tommycarcetti_3234.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I wake up white, in a city that ain't."'']]
-->''Yummy, my first bowl of shit.''
City Councilman. He dreams of supplanting the current mayor, Royce, and cleaning up Baltimore. He gets his chance with the rise in violent crime, and when a key witness is killed due to the lack of proper witness protection. When Hamsterdam is exposed, he starts campaigning in earnest, pulling off an upset and becoming mayor. Once in office, with his advisors Norman and Steintorf, he seeks out people he can trust within city government, particularly the police force. Promising a reduction in crime, he is undermined by the revelation that financial legerdemain had been used to to hide a massive deficit in the school budget. Deciding not to seek the Maryland governor's help in bailing out the schools, he takes the money from the police force instead. He is unable to fulfill most of the promises he made to his allies and constituents, but manages to get elected governor by attacking his Republican opponent's positions on homeless and the poor, which works as a high-profile issue due to [=McNulty=]'s fake serial killer.
----
* AmbitionIsEvil: Played with. When forced to choose between helping the city he was elected to save and his own political ambitions, he chooses the latter, by deciding not to take money to cover the city's budget deficit from the state because doing so will hurt his chances of being elected governor. However, the series makes the argument that it is the [[InherentInTheSystem political system which corrupts politicians]] rather than the other way around.
* BeleagueredBureaucrat: For a while and also a consequence of his own ambition; he has good intentions but not the political clout or the funds to implement them.
* BigGood: At first he's set up as possibly being this, but it's ultimately subverted.
* TheCasanova: Subverted, his early scenes paint him as a Kennedy-esque skirt-chaser and he was a "gash hound" in the past, but he's not shown being unfaithful to his wife during the rest of his story arc, even turning down attempts to seduce him. It turns out that pride and vanity are his cardinal sins rather than lust.
* TheChainsOfCommanding: Present and discussed several times. As a previous white mayor puts it, governing the city means eating shit from one community or another, day in and day out.
* CorruptTheCutie: Starts out as something of an idealist, but is fast sucked into the dirty world of politics.
* DavidVsGoliath: A white "boy" beats the seemingly invincible two-term incumbent black mayor.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: In the end of the third episode in which he appears Carcetti committs adultery with an unnamed woman he meets at a political event, staring at himself in the mirror as he does so. Though it seems at the time to be a throwaway scene, it actually serves to highlight Carcetti's narcissism and willingness to break promises for personal gain, both character traits which play a role in his later tenure as mayor. The scene actually receives a CallBack in season five, when Carcetti watches news coverage of himself making a grandstanding political speech with a similarly rapturous expression on his face.
* FaceHeelTurn: Mildly and realistically so. He doesn't so much go from good to evil as go from an [[CorruptTheCutie idealistic crusader]] to just another self-interested politician.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters
* InternalReformist: Tries to be one and changes some things with his initial élan, but eventually gets assimilated by the game.
* NaiveNewcomer: Though he's not politically unexperienced, he discovers that being a Councilman and governing are two different beasts. He learns what a minefield City Hall is and that implementing a policy is like turning an Ocean liner, even if there's the chance to do it, it takes a lot of time to change course.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: He bears some resemblances to real-life former Baltimore mayor Martin O'Malley, though Simon has said the character was based on a number of Baltimore politicians, most of whom are too obscure to be recognizable to viewers.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: He increasingly becomes something of this status as the story goes on.
* PetTheDog: On an epic scale during his Baltimore cleaning spree.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: At first.
* RousingSpeech: He gives a few of them, usually of the self-serving variety.
* SirSwearsalot: While everyone except Omar swears a lot in this show, Tommy is particularly foul-mouthed.
* SleazyPolitician: Eventually turns into one.
-->Build something downtown and stick your name on it, get the crime to go down, and stay away from schools. And keep my boyish good looks... One out of four ain't bad.
* SomebodyDoesntLoveRaymond: Implied. His {{Pride}} and self-serving nature often leads him to want to be seen as a good guy. Most notable in his attempt to apologize to Colvin for how the Hamsterdam experiment fell apart. Furthermore, its never made clear if he knew Steintorf reintroduced the stats game or if he had Steintorf do it in his place in order to look good to Daniels.
* TookALevelInJerkass: He becomes more and more of a {{Jerkass}} as the stress of campaigning and then running the city wears on him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Clarence Royce]]
->'''Played by''': Glynn Turman
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clarence_royce_6732.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Nobody here wants to do a real job."'']]
--> ''Next year? For some things, that's a long time to wait.''
Deeply corrupt mayor of Baltimore. His administration has seen a dramatic rise in violent crime, which he seeks to patch over as best he can. Major Colvin's experiment in establishing drug-free zones causes crime to drop, and he makes the mistake of delaying action in bringing them to an end. When exposed, Carcetti campaigns against him for allowing them, and beats him in the mayoral election.
----
* CulturalPosturing: During the Democratic primary campaign against the white Carcetti his staff prints up posters using African colors in an effort to appeal to racial solidarity.
* DavidVsGoliath: A two-term incumbent black mayor with massive resources and support from the political machine. He loses against a white newcomer.
* GracefulLoser: After losing the primaries, Royce invites Carcetti to the office, has a friendly chat with him and makes him try the mayoral chair.
* InterruptedIntimacy: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZvY285GNN0 Herc catches him]] getting a blowjob from his secretary. In response, Royce buys Herc's silence with a promotion to Sergeant.
* LetTheBullyWin: Regularly organizes poker games with rich big shots who lose deliberately in order to fill the mayor's pockets. They accept it as part of the game, but are not happy about his greed.
* MayorPain: Subverted; at first he's presented as too venal and incompetent to do anything about Baltimore's problems but Carcetti's arc reveals that it's the system rather than the person at the top of it that's most responsible for the city's plight.
* SlaveToPR: His reaction to Hamsterdam comes off as self-serving [[PetTheDog but somewhat redeeming]], but once it is exposed on television and becomes a major [=PR=] disaster he quickly shuts it down.
* SleazyPolitician: Not nearly as bad as [[CorruptPolitician Clay Davis]], but still pretty unethical.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Coleman Parker]]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_wire_parker.jpg]]
->'''Played by''': Cleo Reginald Pizana
Royce's second-in-command and organizer of his re-election campaign.
----
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Towards Earvin Burrell. Burrell is the pin cushion of the Royce administration until he learns better and stabs them back. Burrell's reaction is so unexpected that Parker even feigns shock at Burrell daring to do so.
* TheConsigliere: To Mayor Royce; quite literally the voice of reason in his cabinet, Royce's mistake was stopping listening to him.
* TheDragon
* {{Foil}}: To Norman Wilson during the election campaign. They are the men who babysit the two candidates throughout the process, though Parker has less moral walls to surpass as a longtime member of an established corrupt administration.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: While Earvin Burrell is the obstruction to proper policing within is department, Parker and Royce are the obstructions of Burrell. An oft repeated quote says that, "...the shit rolls downhill."
* PunchClockVillain: After Carcetti chooses to let the schools rot rather than go cap-in-hand to Annapolis, he drinks with Norman in a downtown bar, and his conversation reveals that politics is just a job for him, and that he doesn't get personally invested in it. He advises Norman to do the same, since politicians "always disppoint".
* YesMan: While being one, Parker is the enforcer of making a yes-man of everyone else under Royce and also tries to make Royce himself one for the sake of the re-election. It doesn't go well for him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Norman Wilson]]
->'''Played by''': Reg E. Cathey
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/normanwilson_1435.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I wish I was still at the newspaper so I could write on this bullshit."'']]
-->''The people running your campaign are professionals, Tommy. Don't try this shit at home.''
Tommy Carcetti's deputy campaign manager, and later, his right hand man. He is brutally honest, keeping Carcetti in line and his feet on the ground.
----
* [[invoked]] ActuallyPrettyFunny: Laughs his ass off when the true nature of the serial killer is exposed, despite Carcetti calling up DudeNotFunny!
* BrutalHonesty: Speaks his mind quite freely. The most notable case is when, while being the one of the main advisors for Carcetti's campaign, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhj2nQIiAnU&spfreload=10 Norman tells Carcetti that Norman has no plans of voting for him]].
* TheConsigliere
* CynicalMentor: Shows Carcetti the ropes in a very realistic, almost jaded way.
* DeadpanSnarker
* {{Foil}}: To Coleman Parker, Royce's second-in-comand during the election as Carcetti's man-behind-the-man; later, when Carcetti is elected he becomes one to Michael Steintorf in the Mayor's cabinet.
* HonestAdvisor: To Carcetti. Norman has no problem criticizing the mayor.
-->'''Carcetti:''' Say it, Norman, you're thinking it. Truth to power, Norman. Isn't that what I keep you around for?
* IntrepidReporter: His backstory. He laments he can't publish the sordid but juicy stuff that he experiences as a City Hall insider.
* KnightInSourArmor: Becomes disillusioned by Carcetti putting his ambitions ahead of the city, but keeps working for him to speak truth to power and to do what he can to make sure he fulfills his campaign promises.
* ServileSnarker
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nerese Campbell]]
->'''Played by''': Marlene Afflack
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/neresecampbel1l_7830.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"It was supposed to be my turn!"'']]
-->''Clay, it is what it is.''
President of the Baltimore City Council. When Carcetti is elected mayor, she is immediately hostile to him because she was understood to be next in line after Royce. He proves to be pliable, and she comes around to pulling strings for him, though she scuttles many of his planned projects. She is elected mayor after Carcetti.
----
* {{Blackmail}}: Burrell hands over the dossier on Daniels to her, a card she uses to coerce the Commissioner.
* ChangingOfTheGuard: She finally succeeds Royce when Carcetti becomes governor.
* CommanderContrarian: To Carcetti in the worst, most politically cynical way possible. When Carcetti is looking for advice about what to do regarding the school budget and whether he should take the governor's money and looks around the room for advice, Campbell flat out tells him not to look to her for advice, [[http://youtu.be/6EjbcJ7YvTw?t=38s because regardless of what he does she'll use it to attack him in the next election]] when she plans to run against him. It's something of a running theme with the two.
** She becomes the contrarian to Police Commissioner Cedric Daniels. She argues that if he doesn't come into the fold, she will sling as much mud as she can to him; the mud, she obtained from Burrell as it turns out.
* TheFixer: Cutting backroom deals to head off problems is one of Nerese's great talents, see how she manages to talk Burrell into leaving the post of Commissioner gracefully, and later convinces a panicking Clay Davis out of trying to save himself by spilling the beans on all the dirty dealings in City Hall.
* {{Foil}}: As the last surviving counselor from Royce's administration, her role is to be the opposition leader during Carcetti's term. Quite literally the black voice on a white administration.
* InformedAttractiveness: "Council President's hot as balls!"
* IronLady: Very much. She does not ever betray a smile and always goes for the jugular.
* {{Irony}}: She's furious that Carcetti and Gray tried to run against Royce when she was Royce's presumed successor, and that Carcetti actually managed to do it successfully. Because of that she will undermine and backstab Carcetti in any way possible and at every opportunity, yet she notes that she's actually glad not to be mayor because then she'd have to deal with the all but intractable problems left behind by the Royce administration. That does absolutely nothing to alleviate her vendetta, however.
* KarmaHoudini: Another schemer who doesn't get any major comeuppance.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Based on the very shady Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon, city council president when while O'Malley was Mayor and his successor as Mayor when he became Governor.[[note]]Dixon eventually resigned in disgrace after being tried for and convicted of fraudulent misdemeanor misappropriation of city funds (and you know what this show keeps reminding us about Baltimore juries...).[[/note]]
* ObstructiveBureaucrat
* PassedOverPromotion[=/=]PassedOverInheritance: She is not happy about Carcetti's rising, as it was assumed she would be Royce's heir apparent.
* SleazyPolitician: Another morally flexible politician, very good at intrigue.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Michael Steintorf]]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/steintorf.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Neal Huff
-->''Kids don't vote.''
Mayor Carcetti's chief of staff. A realist, he lets Carcetti know that many of his plans are infeasible. Later, he pressures Daniels to alter crime statistics.
----
* TheConsigliere: A less principled and more Machiavellian version of Normal Wilson.
* {{Foil}}: His input and opinions are polar opposites of Norman Wilson's in Carcetti's cabinet. While they do impede each other, there is usually no resentment between the two.
* TheManBehindTheMan: Regularly behind the scenes making deals or implementing shady policies to protect and insulate the mayor.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: Reintroduces the infamous stats game in the fight against crime.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Andy Krawczyk]]
->'''Played by:''' Michael Willis
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bignegrobiggun1_6599.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Black. Big. With a large weapon."'']]
-->'''Rawls:''' Mayor's office already called twice, worried sick about the man. That's a whole lotta campaign contributions sitting on the back of that ambo.
Krawczyk is a major behind the scenes player in Baltimore as he's the President of the Baltimore City School Board, an influential real estate developer and political fund raiser. He's also strongly implied to be corrupt and appears to take part in the WhiteCollarCrime perpetuated by other corrupt legal and political figures such as Clay Davis, although he is never explicitly seen to do so. He is an enemy to the dockworkers, as he spends season 2 pushing to have the grain pier on the docks torn down and used for real estate development while they're trying to revitalize it and use it as a way to increase activity on the docks, and he works as a real estate consultant to Stringer Bell.
----
* AmbiguouslyEvil: Neither the police or the viewers themselves ever catch him doing anything unquestionably corrupt, but when you consider that he's the president of a school board that has somehow mysteriously lost millions of dollars and is letting brand new books and equipment sit in the basement while the students get by with books that are several editions older, (which could be simple mismanagement, or it could be similar to a [[http://articles.latimes.com/2013/sep/06/local/la-me-textbook-theft-20130906 2013 California case where workers at several school districts were stealing and then reselling new textbooks]]) that he's doing consulting work with people like Stringer and Avon who are pretty clearly drug dealers or some other type of criminal, that he's working with Clay Davis as part of Davis' con on Stringer and subtly pushes Stringer towards giving Davis money, and Levy's warning to Marlo that "he's a guy you're going to want to know well, but do not get into a room with him alone. You're going to want me in there with you, or guys like that will bleed you dry" it becomes possible that Andy K, despite flying under the radar and never explicitly breaking the law, may just be the dirtiest player in the whole game.
* ChekhovsGunman: He gets introduced and talked about a lot in season 2, along with some on screen time, before he gets set up for a ''much'' larger role in the city in seasons 3 and 4.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Not portrayed openly corrupt à la Clay Davis, but his familiarity with the political machine all but states it.
* ImplausibleDeniability: Always makes sure to keep at least some layer of it ready for his defense, and thanks to his connections as long as he has that he's a KarmaHoudini for his corruption.
-->'''Det. Holley:''' Are you aware that Russell Bell was regarded as a major narcotics violator? [Krawczyk shakes head]\\
'''Bunk:''' How do you think he made his money?\\
'''Krawczyk:''' I didn't inquire.
* OddFriendship: With ''Valchek''. The two Poles seem surprisingly friendly despite Valchek's {{jerkass}} ways, and Krawczyk calls Valchek by a pet name when the two are discussing the situation about the docks.
-->'''Valchek:''' (to Prez) And because I have Andy Krawczyk's ear, and because he has City Hall's ear, you're gonna make Sergeant.
* TheRival: To the stevedores, as his grain pier condominium project competes against the remodelation of the docks.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: As with every major donator, [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney money is power]], to the point where the entire Royce administration freaks out at the thought of anything happening to him, and he can be involved with various major pieces of corruption and skate away from it without ever even being seriously questioned.
* StealingFromTheTill: Although unconfirmed it seems likely, given the mysterious and huge hole in the school board budget and the misused/misappropriated equipment that Prez finds in the school basement.
* SuspectIsHatless: Helps the police with a gloriously useless description of Omar.
-->I told you I saw only the one. I know he was black. Big, I thought. With a large weapon.
* WhiteCollarCrime
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Odell Watkins]]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_wire_watkins.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Frederick Strother
-->'' I hear you took a swipe at Hizzoner the other day on that witness murder. You keep on it, Councilman. A little smack here and there does this administration a world of good.''
A State Delegate and a longtime major Baltimore political figure and and a member of the influential State Appropriations Committee. He's something of a moral voice of authority within the circles of Baltimore politicians as he has full support of the religious leaders, looks to address the concerns of the citizens in a decent way and is critical of political corruption.
----
* TheConscience: Tries to keep the Royce administration morally balanced.
* EatingTheEyeCandy: He definitely gives every woman around at least some lecherous looks, if not more.
* TheFettered: One of the more principled members of Royce's camp.
* KingmakerScenario: Thanks to his influence and resources, any candidate who gets his endorsement receives more than a big boost in a close race.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Finally becomes so infuriated with the Royce administration and Royce's double dealing that he starts to go into one of these, but he's so furious and frustrated that halfway through it he can't even go on naming all of Royce's faults and settles for a PrecisionFStrike.
-->You've forgotten your agenda. You've forgotten your base. You think a shave and some Marcus Garvey posters are gonna get you over? You think that's going to make up for getting in bed with ''every'' damn developer? Shit, you're even on Clay Davis' tit! ... You... the trouble with you... ''fuck you'', Clarence. I'm gonna sit what's left of this one out.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: One of the few public figures who genuinely cares about and works for his constituents. A true leader of the community who provides actual help to Colvin and Cutty.
* TwoferTokenMinority: Arguably being black doesn't really count as the show has so many black characters, but Watkins is also a wheelchair user.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theresa D'Agostino]]
->'''Played by:''' Brandy Burre
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/terrydagostino3_4589.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"You know, when I took this job, you promised me a win bonus."'']]
-->''He's taking on a two-term incumbent. It's all gonna be ugly from here.''
A Washington-based political consultant and campaign fixer. She grew up in Baltimore and was a schoolmate of Carcetti in college, where it's hinted that they had a relationship. When Tommy first tells her of his intention to challenge Royce to an election she's extremely dubious of his chances and all too aware of the uphill battle being waged, but agrees to become his strategy manager due to the possible recognition it will win her if they can pull off the upset.
----
* ButNowIMustGo: Leaves Carcetti's camp and returns to Washington with a higher profile to work for the DCCC after her success in Baltimore.
* TheChessmaster: In the world of political maneuvering and campaigning she's an ace who knows all the tricks and sees several moves ahead.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Averted. After finding her too distant and cold, [=McNulty=] does an effort to connect with her, but they live in two separate worlds. When he thinks she's finally warming up to him he realizes that she's pumping him for information on Major Colvin and Hamsterdam, and promptly storms away.
* TheFixer: Of the political variety.
* OldFlame: It's suggested that she and Carcetti were more than friends in the past. She tries to light it again after his victory, but Carcetti turns her down, [[HandsomeLech much to her surprise]].
* SayingTooMuch: She falls into this trap when trying to pump [=McNulty=] for information about Hamsterdam. When [=McNulty=] doesn't initially respond to her probing, she claims that someone she knows in Washington told her about it and drops Major Colvin's name to try to prod him along. [=McNulty=] immediately calls bullshit, saying that he seriously doubts any political bigwig in D.C. would know the name of a mid-level Baltimore police commander.
* TemporaryLoveInterest: [=McNulty=] of all people, is hers. He picks her up during an event. Halfway through, it turns out it's [=McNulty=] who got picked up. They are utterly incompatible.
* UptownGirl: [=McNulty=] is just a regular Joe to her.
-->'''[=McNulty=]:''' I listen to the shit she talks about, first time in my life I feel like a fucking doormat. Like anyone with any smarts would do something else with his life, you know, earn money or get elected. Like I'm just a breathing machine for my fucking dick.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Anthony "Tony" Gray]]
->'''Played by:''' Christopher Mann
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tonygray_4458.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Sounds like you're running for something."'']]
-->''Thought I'd be the education mayor.''
A Democratic Baltimore Councilman and a close ally of Carcetti before they turn into rivals with both trying to be elected mayor.
----
* DumbassHasAPoint: Well, he's not dumb per se, but most people think his focusing on the issue of education is a terrible strategy for challenging Mayor Royce given the staggering crime rate and lack of safety in Baltimore. Predictably, the people prioritize safety over education, (personal safety is a much more immediate, primal, and visceral need than education) and as a result his message gets overlooked and he becomes an afterthought in the election. But Gray isn't wrong: if the Baltimore schools actually worked and gave kids a legitimate and achievable alternative to life as a criminal, things might be very different indeed for Baltimore and its people. (And the school system is certainly plagued with corruption and incompetence, which doesn't help things.) Of course, as we see when Carcetti becomes mayor, the problems with the schools are ultimately too big and too InherentInTheSystem for even the mayor to tackle it.
* DumbassNoMore: He gradually gets better at political maneuvering, going from Carcetti's UnwittingPawn to seeing through some of the plans that Carcetti makes and correctly predicting their various twists and turns. Unfortunately for him, it's too little, too late to help him in the election.
* EtTuBrute: Feels deeply betrayed when it becomes evident that Carcetti is running his own plattform. Gray was under the assumption that Carcetti would be his NumberTwo.
* PutOnABus: Never seen or mentioned again after coming third in the primary.
* UnwittingPawn: For Carcetti, who uses Gray's plans to run as a way to split votes from Royce, keep the race from solely being about black man vs white man in a mostly black city, and thus allows Carcetti to win a seemingly unwinnable election.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Despite Carcetti's offers, he's not much interested in still being friends as the election goes on.
[[/folder]]
-->--'''Maryland State Senator Clayton Davis'''
At the root of why nothing can ever get done in Baltimore, and, by extension, America, City Hall tells the story of Baltimore's political leaders and their Byzantine efforts at backstabbing and career advancement. City Hall is explored through the eyes of Democratic Councilman Tommy Carcetti, who achieves a feat most of the Democratic Party think impossible by winning election as the white mayor of a majority black city. Despite his initial idealism, he is unable to leverage his electoral success into political success, being forced to back up on his promises for the sake of his career. The City Hall storyline is an examination of the corruption at the heart of Baltimore political system and how internal reformers are either forced into resignation, acquiescence, or corruption.
----
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:R. Clayton "Clay" Davis]]
->'''Played by''': Isaiah Whitlock Jr.
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/claydavis_3096.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Sheeeeeeeit"'']]
-->''Fool, what do you think? That we know anything about who gives money? That we give a damn about who they are or what they want? We have no way of running down them or their stories. We don't care. We just cash the damn cheques, count the votes and move on.''
Maryland state senator. Corrupt doesn't begin to describe him. He takes bribes from many sources, including the Barksdale organization under Stringer Bell, and does patronage and fundraising in return, when he doesn't simply fleece them. Two simultaneous investigations, one by the Major Crimes department of the Baltimore Police, the other by the FBI, are focused on him. Neither succeeds in bringing him down.
----
* {{Blackmail}}: On the receiving end, he for once gets outconned, by Lester, who threatens to go Federal with some major, undisclosed evidence unless Davis provides some information. Little the Senator knows that the Atorney General had already turned down the case after the fiasco in the local court made Davis a hero.
* {{Catchphrase}}: "Sheeeeeeeeiiiiiiit." Sometimes he ellaborates a bit to say "some shameful shit", in a more articulate way.
* ChewbaccaDefense
* ConMan: In all but name. A real shakedown artist.
-->'''Norman:''' He's slick, apologizes for the short con and in the next breath setting us up for the long.
* CorruptPolitician: "Corrupt" doesn't begin to describe him.
* EverythingIsRacist: Spins the investigation into his corruption into an inspiring narrative of his own victimization at the hands of villainous whiteys and Uncle Toms in the State's Attorney's office. Depressingly, it works.
-->'''Gus Haynes''': 45 inches of Clay Davis playing not just the race card but the whole deck, coming at ya.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Keeps the veneer of amicability of a snake oil salesman. It usually falls the moment things start to go against him.
* FeigningIntelligence: Brings a copy of Prometheus Bound, by Aeschylus, to his trial. He tells reporters that he relates to this story of a man punished by the PowersThatBe for helping the people - and in the process mispronounces both Prometheus and Aeschylus, suggesting that he has never read or discussed the book.
* {{Jerkass}}: Mantains a slimy, non-confrontational persona most of the time, but [[BitchInSheepsClothing he breaks his façade sometimes]] during his rants, for instance, when Daniels doesn't cave in, Davis calls him a motherfucker, among other insults.
* KarmaHoudini: Not only he escapes punishment, [[TheBadGuyWins his position is reinforced]] after he's acquitted.
-->'''First Deputy:''' You city sons of bitches have managed, in a single week, to transform Clay fucking Davis into Martin Luther King Jr.
* LargeHam: Especially by season 4.
* ManipulativeBastard: When he is put on in Season 5, he easily charms the Baltimore jury into believing that his theft of money from his charity organizations was for a good cause, and is acquitted.
* PlayingTheVictimCard: In the stairs of the courtroom and then inside of it. He portrays himself as a man of the people who is the victim of a greek tragedy.
* {{Rainmaking}}
* SleazyPolitician: In addition to his criminality, he's pretty scummy in his personal life as well.
* SlimeBall: An amalgamation of everything that's wrong inside the political machine.
* SmugSnake
* TheOneWhoMadeItOut: Clay came from the projects too but became a politician.
* VerbalTic: Addressing his victims as "partner". An intentional, reassuring pet word.
* VillainousBreakdown: Delivers angry rants to his political cronies whenever he's under scrutiny. He loses it during Carcetti's term when he begins to realize he's sinking with no rope or allies in reach, but he quickly pulls himself together to present his usual slimy public persona.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: So good that it helps him get acquitted of fraud charges.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Thomas "Tommy" Carcetti]]
->'''Played by''': Creator/AidanGillen
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tommycarcetti_3234.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I wake up white, in a city that ain't."'']]
-->''Yummy, my first bowl of shit.''
City Councilman. He dreams of supplanting the current mayor, Royce, and cleaning up Baltimore. He gets his chance with the rise in violent crime, and when a key witness is killed due to the lack of proper witness protection. When Hamsterdam is exposed, he starts campaigning in earnest, pulling off an upset and becoming mayor. Once in office, with his advisors Norman and Steintorf, he seeks out people he can trust within city government, particularly the police force. Promising a reduction in crime, he is undermined by the revelation that financial legerdemain had been used to to hide a massive deficit in the school budget. Deciding not to seek the Maryland governor's help in bailing out the schools, he takes the money from the police force instead. He is unable to fulfill most of the promises he made to his allies and constituents, but manages to get elected governor by attacking his Republican opponent's positions on homeless and the poor, which works as a high-profile issue due to [=McNulty=]'s fake serial killer.
----
* AmbitionIsEvil: Played with. When forced to choose between helping the city he was elected to save and his own political ambitions, he chooses the latter, by deciding not to take money to cover the city's budget deficit from the state because doing so will hurt his chances of being elected governor. However, the series makes the argument that it is the [[InherentInTheSystem political system which corrupts politicians]] rather than the other way around.
* BeleagueredBureaucrat: For a while and also a consequence of his own ambition; he has good intentions but not the political clout or the funds to implement them.
* BigGood: At first he's set up as possibly being this, but it's ultimately subverted.
* TheCasanova: Subverted, his early scenes paint him as a Kennedy-esque skirt-chaser and he was a "gash hound" in the past, but he's not shown being unfaithful to his wife during the rest of his story arc, even turning down attempts to seduce him. It turns out that pride and vanity are his cardinal sins rather than lust.
* TheChainsOfCommanding: Present and discussed several times. As a previous white mayor puts it, governing the city means eating shit from one community or another, day in and day out.
* CorruptTheCutie: Starts out as something of an idealist, but is fast sucked into the dirty world of politics.
* DavidVsGoliath: A white "boy" beats the seemingly invincible two-term incumbent black mayor.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: In the end of the third episode in which he appears Carcetti committs adultery with an unnamed woman he meets at a political event, staring at himself in the mirror as he does so. Though it seems at the time to be a throwaway scene, it actually serves to highlight Carcetti's narcissism and willingness to break promises for personal gain, both character traits which play a role in his later tenure as mayor. The scene actually receives a CallBack in season five, when Carcetti watches news coverage of himself making a grandstanding political speech with a similarly rapturous expression on his face.
* FaceHeelTurn: Mildly and realistically so. He doesn't so much go from good to evil as go from an [[CorruptTheCutie idealistic crusader]] to just another self-interested politician.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters
* InternalReformist: Tries to be one and changes some things with his initial élan, but eventually gets assimilated by the game.
* NaiveNewcomer: Though he's not politically unexperienced, he discovers that being a Councilman and governing are two different beasts. He learns what a minefield City Hall is and that implementing a policy is like turning an Ocean liner, even if there's the chance to do it, it takes a lot of time to change course.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: He bears some resemblances to real-life former Baltimore mayor Martin O'Malley, though Simon has said the character was based on a number of Baltimore politicians, most of whom are too obscure to be recognizable to viewers.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: He increasingly becomes something of this status as the story goes on.
* PetTheDog: On an epic scale during his Baltimore cleaning spree.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: At first.
* RousingSpeech: He gives a few of them, usually of the self-serving variety.
* SirSwearsalot: While everyone except Omar swears a lot in this show, Tommy is particularly foul-mouthed.
* SleazyPolitician: Eventually turns into one.
-->Build something downtown and stick your name on it, get the crime to go down, and stay away from schools. And keep my boyish good looks... One out of four ain't bad.
* SomebodyDoesntLoveRaymond: Implied. His {{Pride}} and self-serving nature often leads him to want to be seen as a good guy. Most notable in his attempt to apologize to Colvin for how the Hamsterdam experiment fell apart. Furthermore, its never made clear if he knew Steintorf reintroduced the stats game or if he had Steintorf do it in his place in order to look good to Daniels.
* TookALevelInJerkass: He becomes more and more of a {{Jerkass}} as the stress of campaigning and then running the city wears on him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Clarence Royce]]
->'''Played by''': Glynn Turman
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clarence_royce_6732.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Nobody here wants to do a real job."'']]
--> ''Next year? For some things, that's a long time to wait.''
Deeply corrupt mayor of Baltimore. His administration has seen a dramatic rise in violent crime, which he seeks to patch over as best he can. Major Colvin's experiment in establishing drug-free zones causes crime to drop, and he makes the mistake of delaying action in bringing them to an end. When exposed, Carcetti campaigns against him for allowing them, and beats him in the mayoral election.
----
* CulturalPosturing: During the Democratic primary campaign against the white Carcetti his staff prints up posters using African colors in an effort to appeal to racial solidarity.
* DavidVsGoliath: A two-term incumbent black mayor with massive resources and support from the political machine. He loses against a white newcomer.
* GracefulLoser: After losing the primaries, Royce invites Carcetti to the office, has a friendly chat with him and makes him try the mayoral chair.
* InterruptedIntimacy: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZvY285GNN0 Herc catches him]] getting a blowjob from his secretary. In response, Royce buys Herc's silence with a promotion to Sergeant.
* LetTheBullyWin: Regularly organizes poker games with rich big shots who lose deliberately in order to fill the mayor's pockets. They accept it as part of the game, but are not happy about his greed.
* MayorPain: Subverted; at first he's presented as too venal and incompetent to do anything about Baltimore's problems but Carcetti's arc reveals that it's the system rather than the person at the top of it that's most responsible for the city's plight.
* SlaveToPR: His reaction to Hamsterdam comes off as self-serving [[PetTheDog but somewhat redeeming]], but once it is exposed on television and becomes a major [=PR=] disaster he quickly shuts it down.
* SleazyPolitician: Not nearly as bad as [[CorruptPolitician Clay Davis]], but still pretty unethical.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Coleman Parker]]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_wire_parker.jpg]]
->'''Played by''': Cleo Reginald Pizana
Royce's second-in-command and organizer of his re-election campaign.
----
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Towards Earvin Burrell. Burrell is the pin cushion of the Royce administration until he learns better and stabs them back. Burrell's reaction is so unexpected that Parker even feigns shock at Burrell daring to do so.
* TheConsigliere: To Mayor Royce; quite literally the voice of reason in his cabinet, Royce's mistake was stopping listening to him.
* TheDragon
* {{Foil}}: To Norman Wilson during the election campaign. They are the men who babysit the two candidates throughout the process, though Parker has less moral walls to surpass as a longtime member of an established corrupt administration.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: While Earvin Burrell is the obstruction to proper policing within is department, Parker and Royce are the obstructions of Burrell. An oft repeated quote says that, "...the shit rolls downhill."
* PunchClockVillain: After Carcetti chooses to let the schools rot rather than go cap-in-hand to Annapolis, he drinks with Norman in a downtown bar, and his conversation reveals that politics is just a job for him, and that he doesn't get personally invested in it. He advises Norman to do the same, since politicians "always disppoint".
* YesMan: While being one, Parker is the enforcer of making a yes-man of everyone else under Royce and also tries to make Royce himself one for the sake of the re-election. It doesn't go well for him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Norman Wilson]]
->'''Played by''': Reg E. Cathey
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/normanwilson_1435.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I wish I was still at the newspaper so I could write on this bullshit."'']]
-->''The people running your campaign are professionals, Tommy. Don't try this shit at home.''
Tommy Carcetti's deputy campaign manager, and later, his right hand man. He is brutally honest, keeping Carcetti in line and his feet on the ground.
----
* [[invoked]] ActuallyPrettyFunny: Laughs his ass off when the true nature of the serial killer is exposed, despite Carcetti calling up DudeNotFunny!
* BrutalHonesty: Speaks his mind quite freely. The most notable case is when, while being the one of the main advisors for Carcetti's campaign, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhj2nQIiAnU&spfreload=10 Norman tells Carcetti that Norman has no plans of voting for him]].
* TheConsigliere
* CynicalMentor: Shows Carcetti the ropes in a very realistic, almost jaded way.
* DeadpanSnarker
* {{Foil}}: To Coleman Parker, Royce's second-in-comand during the election as Carcetti's man-behind-the-man; later, when Carcetti is elected he becomes one to Michael Steintorf in the Mayor's cabinet.
* HonestAdvisor: To Carcetti. Norman has no problem criticizing the mayor.
-->'''Carcetti:''' Say it, Norman, you're thinking it. Truth to power, Norman. Isn't that what I keep you around for?
* IntrepidReporter: His backstory. He laments he can't publish the sordid but juicy stuff that he experiences as a City Hall insider.
* KnightInSourArmor: Becomes disillusioned by Carcetti putting his ambitions ahead of the city, but keeps working for him to speak truth to power and to do what he can to make sure he fulfills his campaign promises.
* ServileSnarker
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nerese Campbell]]
->'''Played by''': Marlene Afflack
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/neresecampbel1l_7830.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"It was supposed to be my turn!"'']]
-->''Clay, it is what it is.''
President of the Baltimore City Council. When Carcetti is elected mayor, she is immediately hostile to him because she was understood to be next in line after Royce. He proves to be pliable, and she comes around to pulling strings for him, though she scuttles many of his planned projects. She is elected mayor after Carcetti.
----
* {{Blackmail}}: Burrell hands over the dossier on Daniels to her, a card she uses to coerce the Commissioner.
* ChangingOfTheGuard: She finally succeeds Royce when Carcetti becomes governor.
* CommanderContrarian: To Carcetti in the worst, most politically cynical way possible. When Carcetti is looking for advice about what to do regarding the school budget and whether he should take the governor's money and looks around the room for advice, Campbell flat out tells him not to look to her for advice, [[http://youtu.be/6EjbcJ7YvTw?t=38s because regardless of what he does she'll use it to attack him in the next election]] when she plans to run against him. It's something of a running theme with the two.
** She becomes the contrarian to Police Commissioner Cedric Daniels. She argues that if he doesn't come into the fold, she will sling as much mud as she can to him; the mud, she obtained from Burrell as it turns out.
* TheFixer: Cutting backroom deals to head off problems is one of Nerese's great talents, see how she manages to talk Burrell into leaving the post of Commissioner gracefully, and later convinces a panicking Clay Davis out of trying to save himself by spilling the beans on all the dirty dealings in City Hall.
* {{Foil}}: As the last surviving counselor from Royce's administration, her role is to be the opposition leader during Carcetti's term. Quite literally the black voice on a white administration.
* InformedAttractiveness: "Council President's hot as balls!"
* IronLady: Very much. She does not ever betray a smile and always goes for the jugular.
* {{Irony}}: She's furious that Carcetti and Gray tried to run against Royce when she was Royce's presumed successor, and that Carcetti actually managed to do it successfully. Because of that she will undermine and backstab Carcetti in any way possible and at every opportunity, yet she notes that she's actually glad not to be mayor because then she'd have to deal with the all but intractable problems left behind by the Royce administration. That does absolutely nothing to alleviate her vendetta, however.
* KarmaHoudini: Another schemer who doesn't get any major comeuppance.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Based on the very shady Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon, city council president when while O'Malley was Mayor and his successor as Mayor when he became Governor.[[note]]Dixon eventually resigned in disgrace after being tried for and convicted of fraudulent misdemeanor misappropriation of city funds (and you know what this show keeps reminding us about Baltimore juries...).[[/note]]
* ObstructiveBureaucrat
* PassedOverPromotion[=/=]PassedOverInheritance: She is not happy about Carcetti's rising, as it was assumed she would be Royce's heir apparent.
* SleazyPolitician: Another morally flexible politician, very good at intrigue.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Michael Steintorf]]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/steintorf.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Neal Huff
-->''Kids don't vote.''
Mayor Carcetti's chief of staff. A realist, he lets Carcetti know that many of his plans are infeasible. Later, he pressures Daniels to alter crime statistics.
----
* TheConsigliere: A less principled and more Machiavellian version of Normal Wilson.
* {{Foil}}: His input and opinions are polar opposites of Norman Wilson's in Carcetti's cabinet. While they do impede each other, there is usually no resentment between the two.
* TheManBehindTheMan: Regularly behind the scenes making deals or implementing shady policies to protect and insulate the mayor.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: Reintroduces the infamous stats game in the fight against crime.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Andy Krawczyk]]
->'''Played by:''' Michael Willis
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bignegrobiggun1_6599.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Black. Big. With a large weapon."'']]
-->'''Rawls:''' Mayor's office already called twice, worried sick about the man. That's a whole lotta campaign contributions sitting on the back of that ambo.
Krawczyk is a major behind the scenes player in Baltimore as he's the President of the Baltimore City School Board, an influential real estate developer and political fund raiser. He's also strongly implied to be corrupt and appears to take part in the WhiteCollarCrime perpetuated by other corrupt legal and political figures such as Clay Davis, although he is never explicitly seen to do so. He is an enemy to the dockworkers, as he spends season 2 pushing to have the grain pier on the docks torn down and used for real estate development while they're trying to revitalize it and use it as a way to increase activity on the docks, and he works as a real estate consultant to Stringer Bell.
----
* AmbiguouslyEvil: Neither the police or the viewers themselves ever catch him doing anything unquestionably corrupt, but when you consider that he's the president of a school board that has somehow mysteriously lost millions of dollars and is letting brand new books and equipment sit in the basement while the students get by with books that are several editions older, (which could be simple mismanagement, or it could be similar to a [[http://articles.latimes.com/2013/sep/06/local/la-me-textbook-theft-20130906 2013 California case where workers at several school districts were stealing and then reselling new textbooks]]) that he's doing consulting work with people like Stringer and Avon who are pretty clearly drug dealers or some other type of criminal, that he's working with Clay Davis as part of Davis' con on Stringer and subtly pushes Stringer towards giving Davis money, and Levy's warning to Marlo that "he's a guy you're going to want to know well, but do not get into a room with him alone. You're going to want me in there with you, or guys like that will bleed you dry" it becomes possible that Andy K, despite flying under the radar and never explicitly breaking the law, may just be the dirtiest player in the whole game.
* ChekhovsGunman: He gets introduced and talked about a lot in season 2, along with some on screen time, before he gets set up for a ''much'' larger role in the city in seasons 3 and 4.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Not portrayed openly corrupt à la Clay Davis, but his familiarity with the political machine all but states it.
* ImplausibleDeniability: Always makes sure to keep at least some layer of it ready for his defense, and thanks to his connections as long as he has that he's a KarmaHoudini for his corruption.
-->'''Det. Holley:''' Are you aware that Russell Bell was regarded as a major narcotics violator? [Krawczyk shakes head]\\
'''Bunk:''' How do you think he made his money?\\
'''Krawczyk:''' I didn't inquire.
* OddFriendship: With ''Valchek''. The two Poles seem surprisingly friendly despite Valchek's {{jerkass}} ways, and Krawczyk calls Valchek by a pet name when the two are discussing the situation about the docks.
-->'''Valchek:''' (to Prez) And because I have Andy Krawczyk's ear, and because he has City Hall's ear, you're gonna make Sergeant.
* TheRival: To the stevedores, as his grain pier condominium project competes against the remodelation of the docks.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: As with every major donator, [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney money is power]], to the point where the entire Royce administration freaks out at the thought of anything happening to him, and he can be involved with various major pieces of corruption and skate away from it without ever even being seriously questioned.
* StealingFromTheTill: Although unconfirmed it seems likely, given the mysterious and huge hole in the school board budget and the misused/misappropriated equipment that Prez finds in the school basement.
* SuspectIsHatless: Helps the police with a gloriously useless description of Omar.
-->I told you I saw only the one. I know he was black. Big, I thought. With a large weapon.
* WhiteCollarCrime
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Odell Watkins]]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_wire_watkins.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Frederick Strother
-->'' I hear you took a swipe at Hizzoner the other day on that witness murder. You keep on it, Councilman. A little smack here and there does this administration a world of good.''
A State Delegate and a longtime major Baltimore political figure and and a member of the influential State Appropriations Committee. He's something of a moral voice of authority within the circles of Baltimore politicians as he has full support of the religious leaders, looks to address the concerns of the citizens in a decent way and is critical of political corruption.
----
* TheConscience: Tries to keep the Royce administration morally balanced.
* EatingTheEyeCandy: He definitely gives every woman around at least some lecherous looks, if not more.
* TheFettered: One of the more principled members of Royce's camp.
* KingmakerScenario: Thanks to his influence and resources, any candidate who gets his endorsement receives more than a big boost in a close race.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Finally becomes so infuriated with the Royce administration and Royce's double dealing that he starts to go into one of these, but he's so furious and frustrated that halfway through it he can't even go on naming all of Royce's faults and settles for a PrecisionFStrike.
-->You've forgotten your agenda. You've forgotten your base. You think a shave and some Marcus Garvey posters are gonna get you over? You think that's going to make up for getting in bed with ''every'' damn developer? Shit, you're even on Clay Davis' tit! ... You... the trouble with you... ''fuck you'', Clarence. I'm gonna sit what's left of this one out.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: One of the few public figures who genuinely cares about and works for his constituents. A true leader of the community who provides actual help to Colvin and Cutty.
* TwoferTokenMinority: Arguably being black doesn't really count as the show has so many black characters, but Watkins is also a wheelchair user.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theresa D'Agostino]]
->'''Played by:''' Brandy Burre
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/terrydagostino3_4589.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"You know, when I took this job, you promised me a win bonus."'']]
-->''He's taking on a two-term incumbent. It's all gonna be ugly from here.''
A Washington-based political consultant and campaign fixer. She grew up in Baltimore and was a schoolmate of Carcetti in college, where it's hinted that they had a relationship. When Tommy first tells her of his intention to challenge Royce to an election she's extremely dubious of his chances and all too aware of the uphill battle being waged, but agrees to become his strategy manager due to the possible recognition it will win her if they can pull off the upset.
----
* ButNowIMustGo: Leaves Carcetti's camp and returns to Washington with a higher profile to work for the DCCC after her success in Baltimore.
* TheChessmaster: In the world of political maneuvering and campaigning she's an ace who knows all the tricks and sees several moves ahead.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Averted. After finding her too distant and cold, [=McNulty=] does an effort to connect with her, but they live in two separate worlds. When he thinks she's finally warming up to him he realizes that she's pumping him for information on Major Colvin and Hamsterdam, and promptly storms away.
* TheFixer: Of the political variety.
* OldFlame: It's suggested that she and Carcetti were more than friends in the past. She tries to light it again after his victory, but Carcetti turns her down, [[HandsomeLech much to her surprise]].
* SayingTooMuch: She falls into this trap when trying to pump [=McNulty=] for information about Hamsterdam. When [=McNulty=] doesn't initially respond to her probing, she claims that someone she knows in Washington told her about it and drops Major Colvin's name to try to prod him along. [=McNulty=] immediately calls bullshit, saying that he seriously doubts any political bigwig in D.C. would know the name of a mid-level Baltimore police commander.
* TemporaryLoveInterest: [=McNulty=] of all people, is hers. He picks her up during an event. Halfway through, it turns out it's [=McNulty=] who got picked up. They are utterly incompatible.
* UptownGirl: [=McNulty=] is just a regular Joe to her.
-->'''[=McNulty=]:''' I listen to the shit she talks about, first time in my life I feel like a fucking doormat. Like anyone with any smarts would do something else with his life, you know, earn money or get elected. Like I'm just a breathing machine for my fucking dick.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Anthony "Tony" Gray]]
->'''Played by:''' Christopher Mann
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tonygray_4458.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Sounds like you're running for something."'']]
-->''Thought I'd be the education mayor.''
A Democratic Baltimore Councilman and a close ally of Carcetti before they turn into rivals with both trying to be elected mayor.
----
* DumbassHasAPoint: Well, he's not dumb per se, but most people think his focusing on the issue of education is a terrible strategy for challenging Mayor Royce given the staggering crime rate and lack of safety in Baltimore. Predictably, the people prioritize safety over education, (personal safety is a much more immediate, primal, and visceral need than education) and as a result his message gets overlooked and he becomes an afterthought in the election. But Gray isn't wrong: if the Baltimore schools actually worked and gave kids a legitimate and achievable alternative to life as a criminal, things might be very different indeed for Baltimore and its people. (And the school system is certainly plagued with corruption and incompetence, which doesn't help things.) Of course, as we see when Carcetti becomes mayor, the problems with the schools are ultimately too big and too InherentInTheSystem for even the mayor to tackle it.
* DumbassNoMore: He gradually gets better at political maneuvering, going from Carcetti's UnwittingPawn to seeing through some of the plans that Carcetti makes and correctly predicting their various twists and turns. Unfortunately for him, it's too little, too late to help him in the election.
* EtTuBrute: Feels deeply betrayed when it becomes evident that Carcetti is running his own plattform. Gray was under the assumption that Carcetti would be his NumberTwo.
* PutOnABus: Never seen or mentioned again after coming third in the primary.
* UnwittingPawn: For Carcetti, who uses Gray's plans to run as a way to split votes from Royce, keep the race from solely being about black man vs white man in a mostly black city, and thus allows Carcetti to win a seemingly unwinnable election.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Despite Carcetti's offers, he's not much interested in still being friends as the election goes on.
[[/folder]]
