"The Campaign" is the twenty-fourth episode of season 2 of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
When the town gets impatient with their town-hall meetings where nothing really gets done, it is proposed that the town elect a mayor. Loren nominates Jake, and Horace nominates Dr. Mike. Hank sets a horse off with the wagon Dr. Mike is standing on so that she falls off, onto the ground. Grace and Robert argue about voting for Dr. Mike. Dr. Mike forgets about Snowbird's initiation, after Sully reminds her, and tells her if she becomes Mayer, she'll be busier than ever. Myra is attacked by a man while she is "entertaining," while Dr. Mike is outside of town campaigning and is unable to be there to help, which makes her wonder if she would be able to be mayor and still be the doctor the town needs. When she is about to announce her withdrawal, things start to look up and she decides to stay in the race. Dr. Mike challenges Jake to a debate, and confesses that, while she wouldn't do anything without the town's vote, her personal preference would be to outlaw drinking. Though he originally discouraged her from running because of how dirty politics can get, Sully is impressed that she held her ground even though it may have hurt her vote. Sully tells Dr. Mike to get all the women together because he's got a plan. On election day, the women of the town all come out to vote and are initially turned away, until they all present an official document saying that Sully deeded to each of them a small part of his homestead, making them all land owners, and eligible voters. When they see their victory is threatened, Jake and Loren make a deal with Dr. Mike that if she wins, she won't outlaw prostitution or drinking, and if they win, they will allow women to vote. Dr. Mike wants to outlaw prostitution and drinking, but Dorothy persuades her to agree to the deal because if they don't win, at least they have to vote to ban it. When Myra hears that even if Dr. Mike wins, prostitution will not be outlawed, she asks Hank for her contract, and quits, to his shock, saying that she would rather spend her life in a jail cell than keep working for him. The Reverend reads the results and Jake wins the vote, but not by a large margin, and keeps his promise to make it legal for women to vote, whether they own property or not.
This episode provides examples of:
- Election Day Episode: The election of Colorado Springs' first mayor.
- Not-So-Omniscient Council of Bickering: Nothing gets done at the town-hall meetings, which initiates the election of Colorado Springs' first mayor.
- Paper Destruction of Anger: When Myra quits, she rips up her contract with Hank when he refuses to let her go.
- Sleazy Politician: The campaign against Dr. Mike falls into this category, although it isn't all Jake's doing.
- Suffrage and Political Liberation: Dr. Mike gets Jake to agree to allow women to vote if he wins. Meanwhile, Sully arranges for the women of Colorado Springs to vote under current law.
- Tear Up the Contract: Myra is engaged to Horace, but is bound by contract to work at Hank's saloon. Inspired by women taking part in local elections, she decides to leave at once and rips her contract with Hank in half when he refuses to let her go.
