In season four of "Parks and Recreation," Leslie Knope runs for City Council in Pawnee.
The campaign becomes the season's central storyline after Leslie decides to challenge incumbent councilman Bill Dexhart. Ben Wyatt manages her campaign, but their romantic relationship ends because Pawnee's ethics rules prohibit them from dating while he works for her campaign.
Leslie's race is closely tied to her belief that local government can improve people's lives. She campaigns on issues including parks, public services, and civic responsibility, while facing Bobby Newport, the wealthy but inexperienced heir to the Sweetums fortune. The contest is deliberately humorous, but it also shows Leslie moving from a Parks Department administrator into elected office.
A common mix-up is confusing City Council with city manager or mayor. Leslie runs for and wins a seat on Pawnee's City Council; she does not run for mayor in this storyline. Her victory is later followed by a recall election, giving the series another extended political arc.