Alice Bond is under a lot of pressure from her parents to marry Marshall Winkler, an arrogant blowhard whose only positive quality is his money. Alice really cares for Michael Stevens, an incredibly charming but utterly unambitious ne'er-do-well. Even Alice realizes that there's no future for a man who is content to sponge off his wealthy uncle instead of working. Michael convinces Alice's parents to let him marry her if he can get the job he intends to pursue. The catch is that the job is that of mayor, and to get it, he must run against the formidable political machine of the incumbent Mayor Loomis.