Mike Donnelly, portrayed by Chris Farley, is a well-meaning yet clumsy member of his family who decides to help his older brother Al Donnelly, played by Tim Matheson, in his quest for the Governor's seat in Washington. The incumbent, Evelyn Tracy, brought to life by Christine Ebersole, poses a significant challenge. During one of his chaotic advertising drives, Mike faces a comedic disaster involving a pack of dogs that leads him straight into a movie theater.
In the midst of the campaign, Al's cunning campaign manager, Roger Kovary (played by Timothy Carhart), believes it would be best for Al to distance himself from Mike’s antics. Nevertheless, Al opts to embrace Mike’s unorthodox campaigning style, enlisting the help of suave campaign aide Steve Dodds, who is portrayed by David Spade. Steve reluctantly agrees to the task, hoping for a position on Al's staff post-election. Their escapade takes a wild turn when Steve collides with a mentally unstable Vietnam veteran, Sgt. Drake Sabitch, played by Gary Busey, who then hijacks Steve's rental car.
As their journey continues, Mike attempts to prevent underage drinking, which backfires spectacularly. Compromising photographs lead to his termination from the local recreation center he works at, adding to his mounting woes. Just when a nightmarish situation escalates to a fire at the center caused by some thugs, an acquaintance, Robbie Mighuem (Grant Heslov), conveniently arrives to assist them before the police descend.
In a pinch, Steve and Mike retreat to a remote shack in rural Garfield County as per Kovary’s suggestion. Their luck doesn’t improve as Steve trips and ends up at Drake’s unconventional domicile—a bus filled with oddities—while seeking cell phone reception on a rugged mountain. Adding to their misadventure, they narrowly escape destruction as a massive boulder comes crashing down, nearly crushing their hideout.
When a furious storm tears the roof off their cabin, Mike decides to reach out to Al, who is busy with his campaign appearances. However, a botched performance on MTV sends Al scrambling to distance himself from Mike, claiming he no longer wants Mike’s help. Dejected but undeterred, Mike and Steve find themselves entering Drake's heavily booby-trapped home to catch Al's campaign debate on television. Their encounter with the ex-soldier culminates in a fistfight, showcasing Mike's surprising prowess and ultimately forging an unlikely friendship.
As the election intensifies, Governor Tracy, hoping to sabotage Al, releases damaging photos of Mike, jeopardizing Al's chances. Recognizing the corruption at play, Mike exposes voter fraud within the county, demonstrating that deceased voters had cast their ballots for Tracy. Armed with this revelation, Mike and Steve seize Robbie's police car to crash Tracy's victory party to reveal the truth, only to find themselves in a perilous situation with police officers, guns, and a surprise intervention by Drake, who safeguards Mike from a sniper’s bullet.
Ultimately, Mike's bold revelation turns the election results in Al's favor, while Tracy faces the repercussions of her deceit. Fast forward three months, Steve is now Al's trusted aide, Mike has reclaimed his job at the recreation center, and Al's reign sees a notable drop in crime. However, mischief follows Mike to the very end as his jacket gets caught in a jet door during Al and Steve's departure for a meeting, leaving him outside as the plane takes off into the sky.
