As the national election approaches, Congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrell), who has always been favored by all walks of life, accidentally loses his composure in public, so the behind-the-scenes financiers plan to nominate a rival candidate to influence his turf in North Carolina. Their candidate is rookie Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), a middle-aged man with a sissy look who is the director of the local tourism center and has been living a stable life as a little man. At first, Marty seems to be the least favored choice. He has no political experience and has made a fool of himself in public several times. However, with the support and financial assistance of new sponsors, coupled with the hard-working campaign manager and his family's political connections, he will soon become a dark horse candidate that the charismatic politician Cam cannot underestimate. As the election day approaches, the fierce competition between the two men remains deadlocked, and soon turns into an irreconcilable situation. They do their best to slander and defame each other, trying every way to play dirty, use dirty tricks to frame and discredit each other, and vow to fight to the death. The political arena, which is full of undercurrents, ushered in a big melee.