胸怀理想的年轻人比利为了完成父亲的遗愿，在教父的帮助下成功获选成为最年轻的州议员。但是涉入政坛不久的他竟然遭遇老政客柴可，并被上了一课。比利刚刚上任，所在的州就发生了一件大事，一个名叫拉西姆的警校女学生在训练期间晕倒，生命垂危。而经过医生的鉴定，拉西姆被证实患有严重的糖尿病，而这样的学生在严格的筛选之下是不可能进入警官学校的。社会上传言纷纷，不少群众认为，拉西姆是因为和州议员中的某个议员有着非比寻常的关系，才进入警校的。

Chick Muldoon fra Massachusetts er den mest farverige politiker i hele staten. Efter 30 år som politiker har Chick vundet respekt og indflydelse. Billy Dylan, en ung entusiastisk komet og søn af en heltemodig brandmand, stormer ind fra sidelinjen og bliver valgt ind på Beacon Hill. Dylan er nok gadesmart, men en nybegynder på den politiske scene, og snart bliver han fanget ind i Muldoons politiske net. Dylan kommer langsomt i et dilemma: Skal han følge en etisk rigtig vej, eller skal han gøre alt for at fremme sin egen karriere?

The late Irish hero fireman's (Lefty) charming son William M. "Billy" Dylan (25) is elected as independent, youngest Massachusettes state representative. He joins the Democrats, Congress seat Beacon Hill's legendary rooster, House speaker Charles T. "Chick" Mudoon, who trusts the customary campaign debt check will reel the rookie in as another meek party soldier. However the naive, naturally noble new boy, who doesn't hesitate to single-handedly fight off two skinhead gay-bashers, has and follows his own conscience. He defeats Muldoon's dodgy attempts to prevent a congressional committee investigating state police school cadet abuse, which would compromise his deputy, majority leader Spanky Reardon. It seems Muldoon's revenged when Dylan gets framed for the alleged violent abuse of a two-faced congressional aid. However, there's a more devious, ambitious plot behind two abuse cases and a staged corrupt payment for a memorial hospital wing.