Which actor played Democratic candidate Matt Santos?

Jimmy Smits played Democratic presidential candidate Matt Santos on The West Wing.

Matt Santos is introduced in the sixth season as a congressman from Texas and former mayor of Houston. Josh Lyman persuades him to seek the presidency, even though Santos initially doubts his national prospects. His campaign becomes the central political storyline of the final two seasons, taking viewers through the Democratic nomination contest, the general election, and the transition to a new administration.

Santos ultimately defeats Republican nominee Arnold Vinick in a very close election. After taking office, he appoints former rival Vinick as secretary of state, creating one of the series’ most notable examples of political cooperation. Santos succeeds Jed Bartlet as president, completing the show’s shift from the Bartlet White House to a new administration.

Smits was already an established television star before joining the cast, especially for his work on L.A. Law and NYPD Blue. A common confusion is with Edward James Olmos, who played Lieutenant Commander William Adama in Battlestar Galactica, or Alan Alda, who played Santos’s Republican opponent, Arnold Vinick.