<P> Senator Arnold Vinick (R - CA) (Alan Alda) secures the Republican nomination, defeating Glen Allen Walken (John Goodman) and the Reverend Don Butler (Don S. Davis), among others . Initially, Vinick wants Butler to become his running mate . However, Butler does not want to be considered because of Vinick's stance on abortion . Instead, West Virginia Governor Ray Sullivan (Brett Cullen) is chosen as Vinick's running mate . Vinick is portrayed throughout the sixth season as virtually unbeatable because of his popularity in California, a typically Democratic state, his moderate views, and his wide crossover appeal . Vinick, however, faces difficulty with the pro-life members of his party as a pro-choice candidate, and criticism for his support of nuclear power following a serious accident at a Californian nuclear power station . </P> <P> On the evening of the election, Leo McGarry suffers a massive heart attack and is pronounced dead at the hospital, with the polls still open on the West Coast . The Santos campaign releases the information immediately, while Arnold Vinick refuses to use Leo's death as a "stepstool" to the presidency . Santos emerges as the winner in his home state of Texas, while Vinick wins his home state of California . The election comes down to Nevada, where both candidates need a victory to secure the presidency . Vinick tells his staff repeatedly that he will not allow his campaign to demand a recount of the votes if Santos is declared the winner . Josh Lyman gives Santos the same advice, although the Santos campaign sends a team of lawyers down to Nevada . Santos is pronounced the winner of the election, having won Nevada by 30,000 votes, with an electoral margin of 272--266 . </P> <P> According to executive producer Lawrence O'Donnell, Jr., the writers originally intended for Vinick to win the election . However, the death of Spencer forced him and his colleagues to consider the emotional strain that would result from having Santos lose both his running mate and the election . It was eventually decided by John Wells that the last episodes would be rescripted . Other statements from John Wells, however, have contradicted O'Donnell's claims about a previously planned Vinick victory . The script showing Santos winning was written long before the death of John Spencer . In 2008 O'Donnell stated to camera, "We actually planned at the outset for Jimmy Smits to win, that was our...just...plan of how this was all going to work, but the Vinick character came on so strong in the show, and was so effective, it became a real contest...and it became a real contest in the West Wing writer's room ." </P> <P> Similarities between the fictional 2006 election and the real - life 2008 U.S. presidential election have been noted in the media: young ethnic minority Democratic candidate (Matthew Santos on the show, Barack Obama in real life) has a gruelling but successful primary campaign against a more experienced candidate (Bob Russell on the show, Hillary Clinton in real life) and a third candidate who has been damaged by claims of infidelity (John Hoynes on the show, John Edwards in real life) and chooses an experienced Washington insider as his running mate (Leo McGarry on the show, Joe Biden in real life); whereas the Republican contest is determined early in the primary season with an aging "maverick" senator of a western state being the nominee (Arnold Vinick of California on the show, John McCain of Arizona in real life) after defeating a staunchly pro-life opponent with pastoral experience, among others (Reverend Don Butler on the show, Mike Huckabee in real life), and then choosing a younger, socially conservative running mate in the midst of his or her first term as governor of a sparsely populated, resource - rich state (Ray Sullivan of West Virginia on the show, Sarah Palin of Alaska in real life). </P>

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