ROCK the vote!

As comedy-drama The Politician returns, Ben Platt dishes the dirt on the show’s bitter election rivalry

- NICK CANNON, ALISON SLADE

Be prepared for an election fight much dirtier than anything Donald Trump could come up with, as young aspiring politician Payton Hobart takes on veteran incumbent Dede Standish in the election to be a state senator in New York.

In the first series of comedy-drama The Politician, viewers learnt that wealthy Payton always felt it was his destiny to become US President. After his shenanigans to be elected student president at his high school, the final episode of the series moved forward several years, with Payton turning his sights on proper elected office in New York.

Now, this second seven-part season follows the bizarre twists and turns of that campaign as Payton – again played by Broadway star Ben Platt – and his back-room team of mavericks devise ever more outlandish ways to get the better of Dede (Judith Light) and her scheming campaign manager, Hadassah Gold (Bette Midler).

CONFRONTATION

Dede has held the state senate seat for over 40 years, and neither she nor Hadassah can quite believe Payton has the gall to challenge.