Joey Lucas
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| Josephine Lucas | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Take This Sabbath Day |
| Last appearance | Requiem (cameo) |
| Created by | Aaron Sorkin, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jr., and Paul Redford |
| Portrayed by | Marlee Matlin |
| Information | |
| Occupation | O'Dwyer Campaign Manager (Season 1), Pollster/Political Consultant (Seasons 1-7) |
| Children | At least one |
Josephine "Joey" Lucas, is a fictional character on the television serial drama The West Wing, a California-based pollster and political operative played by Marlee Matlin. She is one of the characters to appear in all seven seasons.
Joey is an expert political pollster who is frequently called upon by President Josiah Bartlet's senior staff to administer national polls and interpret polling data. Joey is deaf and a native of California. She attended UCLA and Stanford, though the degrees she received from each are unknown. She is usually accompanied by her interpreter, Kenny Thurman (portrayed by Bill O'Brien).
Joey once ran the campaign of Californian Democratic candidate for Congress, Bill O'Dwyer, until the President dismissed O'Dwyer as an "empty shirt" and suggested that Joey find another, better candidate to challenge the conservative Republican currently holding the seat. She also worked with and dated fellow pollster Al Kiefer (John de Lancie).
In the second season of the show, Joey was brought in by then Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman to do initial polling on potential public reaction to President Bartlet's disclosure that he had multiple sclerosis. She was the 20th person to learn of the President's disease. She continued working intermittently for the Bartlet administration, most notably before several of his State of the Union speeches.
Following Congressman Matt Santos's decision to run for President, she worked as a consultant for the campaign, both before and after he was the Democratic nominee for President. In the fifth season, when Josh wants to start a relationship with Joey she walks into the West Wing and we find out she is pregnant.
[edit] Relationship with Josh Lyman
Late in the first season it became clear that former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman had feelings for Joey. Josh was discouraged when he got wind of Joey's brief fling with Al Kiefer.
In the second season Joey suggested that Josh pursue a relationship with his assistant, Donnatella Moss, responding to Moss's attempts at misdirection in advocating a relationship between her boss and Joey Lucas. The flirtation between Donna and Josh was one of the series's subplots.
